Coming Back to Work After a Holiday Tips from Our SEO Agency in Los Angeles

Did you start working the day after a holiday break and find yourself utterly stuck? Does it feel like you don’t know how to begin to do your job, much less actually do it? If so, you aren’t alone. The first day back after a break can be incredibly challenging. For many reasons. You have to work, you have to be productive, but you aren’t sure how. These are some tips that we use here at our omnichannel digital marketing and SEO agency in Los Angeles. 

Now, my job is creating content. Writing, podcasting, proofreading, speaking, voiceover, acting, etc. – but, these tips can work regardless of what industry you’re in or what it is that you do. 

Prepare Before You Leave 

The day before vacation, the day before the holiday, before you take your time off, etc., it’s very easy to slack off. Don’t. This is a day to work hard, a time to get things done. That’s true for many reasons, not the least of which is that there’s someone very important you don’t want to let down: you. Specifically, the “you” that just returned from holiday. 

One of the best gifts you can give yourself this holiday season is to not leave a bunch of work that has to be done right away on your desk for when you return. The odds are quite good that, when you do come back to work, the last thing you’re going to want to do is to get a lot of things done right away. 

Many folks ease themselves back into work on that very first day.  That’s literally impossible if you have deadlines to meet (or deadlines have already passed). So, having a good, strong, complete work session before you head off on holiday is a truly good idea for all involved. 

The Hardest Task or the Simplest One: Which is Best for You? 

If you’re reading this, I imagine that you’ve just searched online for “What do I do after coming back from a holiday.” You’re reading it, trying to figure out what to do first. There are plenty of folks out there (I’ve read a lot of these articles) who say that you should start with “easy tasks.” 

This basically means doing “little” (but important) tasks, ones that you can accomplish quickly without too much effort, work, or stress. The idea is that then, in time, as the day goes on, you’re ready to tackle the bigger, more difficult tasks. 

If this works for you, great! Go do it. 

I’m (probably) in a minority here, but it’s not how I work. Each day, I try to start with the most difficult task that I’m going to have that day. Why? Because the morning is when I’m going to be the most awake/alert/focused on my job. 

I’ve exercised. I’ve eaten. This is the time of day when I’m going to have the most caffeine in me and the most time in front of me. As such, I see it as the time of the work day when, if something does end up taking longer than I would hope, I can make up for the time later on.

If I start with a bunch of smaller tasks, hey, I can sure get those small wins. But, that makes it all the more difficult to get the biggest tasks done that day. 

I do recommend is that you find what works best for you. I didn’t come to this “tackle the toughest thing no matter what the calendar says” ethos all at once. Indeed, I had to go through multiple tough First-Day-Back-From-a-Holiday scenarios to get here. 

Actually Take a Break 

In our hyper-connected, digital world, it’s easier than ever to stay connected, yes. However, that can make it all the more difficult to actually disconnect, too. How many of you actually check work email when you’re at the beach? Before you get onto the plane (even when you’re logged out) you look at Slack and/or Basecamp? 

Right. 

There’s nothing wrong with being accountable to your company, of course. Being responsible is the hallmark of a good employee, one who can be trusted. However, you aren’t going to be much good to your company (to say nothing of the others who depend on you in your life) if you don’t take some breaks once in a while. 

When you’re on a holiday, when you’re on a vacation, make sure it’s actually a vacation, it’s actually a break. You do deserve some time off. You deserve to be able to step away. “Coming back refreshed” isn’t a cliche, nor is it a myth, or something that was created in a California drum circle while everyone held up their favorite healing crystal. It’s a very real thing. 

Upon further review, it’s entirely possible that the best gift you can give yourself this holiday is an actual holiday. 

An Omnichannel and SEO Agency in Los Angeles to Help Regardless of the Calendar 

As I get to this part of the blog, it occurs to me that everything I’ve written here has been from the perspective of an individual worker. That said, it can all apply to a company, too. To a team. 

To get a team working on improving your company, reach out to us. Here at Website Depot, our omnichannel digital marketing and SEO agency in Los Angeles has helped to make this holiday (as well as the rest of the year) more merry and bright for companies in a wide range of industries. 

To see how we can help you, reach out to us through our site or call for a free consultation. Happy holidays! 

Greg Benevent, Content Creator and Senior Editor at Website Depot Web Design Agency in Los Angeles