The late summer and autumn mean a major adjustment for many who return to the workplace after a longer vacation. Susanne Ellbin, specialist psychologist at the Institute of Stress Medicine at Västra Götalandsregionen, says it's completely natural to feel tired or unmotivated about starting work again.
One has to try to have some patience with oneself and not demand too much of oneself.
Start gently
Her tips for facilitating the return to everyday life are to try to start gently as much as possible. One way is to start the first week of work in the middle of the week. It's also good to start with less demanding work tasks if possible.
If you've changed your daily rhythm, it's essential to prepare yourself a few days before the first workday.
We have routines to make life easier for us, but it takes a little while to get back into the routines.
Susanne Ellbin says you don't need to worry if you feel like you didn't get the rest you had hoped for during the summer. She emphasizes that the essential thing for recovery is that you've had a change from everyday life.
One can think that way too, that I have at least been able to engage other parts of the brain and body, so that makes you usually function well anyway when you're back at work.
Review the situation
The most common thing is that you find your way back to your routines after a week or so. If the job anxiety stays for several weeks, it may be time to review your work situation. You should then consider whether it's the workload, the social aspect at work, or the combination of private and work life that's not working.
If it's a lot of job-related issues, you should talk to your employer first, but you shouldn't have a job where you feel that this is something that seriously affects your mood.
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Facts: The psychologist's five tips before starting work
TT
Have patience with yourself, realize that it's a tough time for most people to adjust.
– Get a regular sleep schedule before starting work if you've changed your sleep times a lot.
— Try to start gently. Start in the middle of the week and, if possible, with easier work tasks.
— Plan something pleasant in the future.
— Continue with the positive activities you did during the summer. If you, for example, have swum a lot during your vacation, you can continue with evening swims.
