We'll advise you on how to manage returning to work after vacation
Summer is slowly reaching its peak, the holiday is drawing to a close, and with it comes that unpleasant feeling that almost everyone knows. On Wednesday you're still lying on the beach, listening to the sound of the sea, telling yourself it could last forever. But on Monday morning the alarm goes off at six o'clock and you suddenly face a pile of unread emails, missed calls, and colleagues bombarding you with questions. Returning to work after a holiday is a real test for many people, and sometimes even a source of anxiety that can linger for several days. Yet there are many ways to manage this transition with ease and without unnecessary stress.
Psychologists have even given this phenomenon a name – it is referred to as post-holiday blues, a drop in mood and motivation that sets in after a holiday ends. According to research published in the academic journal Journal of Happiness Studies, a holiday brings a significant increase in subjective well-being, which however fades fairly quickly after returning – for most people, happiness levels return to their original baseline within one to two weeks. This does not mean that holidays are pointless – quite the opposite. It does mean, however, that the transition back into a working rhythm deserves conscious attention and preparation.
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Why is returning from holiday so demanding?
The human brain is a creature of habit. During a holiday, it very quickly adjusts to a slower pace, the absence of deadlines, and the freedom to decide what it wants to do at any given moment. This state of relaxation is not laziness – it is the body's natural response to reduced stress. The problem arises when the environment suddenly changes and the brain has to switch back into performance mode. This leap tends to be more challenging the longer and more intensive the holiday was.
Practical circumstances add to this. The inbox is overflowing with messages, projects that were waiting for your return suddenly demand immediate attention, and it seems as though the world did not stop for even a moment. Take Markéta, a project manager from Brno, who returned to the office after a three-week holiday in Greece and found over two hundred unread emails, two missed meetings, and a client who had meanwhile changed the requirements for a key project. "I felt like I'd jumped into ice-cold water," she described her experience. Yet a few simple steps would have made the whole return significantly easier.
The key is understanding that returning to work after a holiday is not a failure or a weakness – it is a completely natural part of the life cycle of every working person. And precisely for that reason, it deserves the same preparation we devote to the holiday itself.
Practical tips for getting back into a working rhythm
One of the most effective ways to ease the transition is not to schedule your return from holiday for the day before you go back to work. Ideally, you should return home at least two days in advance. This time allows both body and mind to acclimatise gradually – unpacking luggage without rushing, going through the post, buying groceries, and calmly preparing your outfit for the first working day. Seemingly trivial steps, but ones that significantly reduce morning chaos and the stress that comes with it.
Equally important is the gradual restoration of your sleep rhythm. A holiday – especially one abroad – often disrupts regular sleep. Going to bed and waking up an hour earlier than usual, starting two to three days before returning to work, helps the body adjust without a jolt. Sleep is one of the key factors in performance and psychological well-being, as the World Health Organization repeatedly confirms.
The first few days back at work are also worth planning less intensively than usual. If you have the ability to influence your calendar, avoid important meetings and presentations on Monday. Give yourself space to first get your bearings, go through your emails, and find out what changed during your absence. Only then does it make sense to tackle more demanding tasks. This approach is not avoiding work – it is sensible management of your own energy.
A very practical tool is also a priority list that you prepare before your first working day. Simply sit down the evening before you return and write down the five most important things that need to be resolved in the first week. This simple ritual provides a sense of control and prevents information overload from paralyzing you. Instead of feeling like you don't know where to start, you have a clear plan – and that makes an enormous difference.
Physical condition also plays a significant role. A holiday can be a great opportunity for physical activity, but it can equally mean an interruption of regular exercise, a change in diet, or increased alcohol consumption. Returning to exercise and balanced nutrition after a holiday is not just a matter of physical health – it directly affects psychological resilience and the ability to concentrate. A short morning walk, cycling to work, or light stretching before the working day can work wonders.
This is precisely where the choice of products that support everyday routines can play a role. A quality breakfast made from natural ingredients, herbal teas that support concentration, or ergonomic accessories for the workspace – these are all small things that together create an environment conducive to productivity and well-being. A healthy lifestyle does not begin and end with a holiday, but is part of everyday decisions.
Winston Churchill was once asked how he managed his enormous workload. His answer was simple: "I never stand when I can sit, and I never sit when I can lie down." Although it sounds like a joke, it contains an important truth – conscious management of energy is the foundation of long-term performance. And this applies to returning from a holiday as well.
Another factor that tends to be underestimated is the social dimension of returning to work. Meeting colleagues, sharing holiday experiences, and gradually re-engaging with the working environment can be surprisingly pleasant. Many people find that it is precisely these informal conversations over coffee that help them get through the first few days and rediscover their motivation. A working environment is not just about tasks and deadlines – it is also a community of people whose presence can be a source of energy.
If you work from home or in a hybrid arrangement, the situation is somewhat more complicated. The boundary between holiday and work is less distinct, and the temptation to "just quickly check emails" during the holiday is stronger. Experts in occupational psychology, such as those at the British institute Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, have long been pointing out that genuinely disconnecting from work during a holiday is an essential condition for proper rest. Those who "spoil" their holiday with work emails feel just as tired after returning as they did before leaving – and the transition back into a working rhythm is then even harder.
An important part of a healthy return is also setting realistic expectations – for yourself and for those around you. It is neither possible nor desirable to catch up on everything that accumulated during your absence on the first day. The pace will naturally be restored over the course of the first week, and the attempt to immediately perform at one hundred percent can lead to exhaustion before the body has even had a chance to properly recover from travelling and the change of environment.
An interesting perspective is also offered by the approach of the Scandinavian countries, where the culture of rest and work-life balance is more deeply rooted than in many other parts of the world. In Finland or Sweden, it is entirely normal for employees returning from holiday to be given space for a gradual re-engagement – sometimes even formally in the form of a so-called transition day, dedicated exclusively to sorting through information and planning. This model shows that respecting the human need for transition is not a weakness, but an investment in long-term productivity.
It is worth considering whether a similar approach might work in the Czech working environment as well. Employers who allow their people a slower start after a holiday generally find that the resulting productivity is higher and the rate of burnout is lower. It is a win-win situation that requires only a little flexibility and trust.
For those who feel that despite all their efforts they cannot shake the post-holiday blues, it may be useful to reflect on the deeper causes. If returning to work is associated with significant anxiety or aversion, this may be a signal that the working environment or the nature of the work has long been failing to meet personal needs. In such a case, the holiday is only temporary relief and the real solution lies elsewhere – in an open conversation with a manager, in reassessing one's position, or in seeking new challenges.
Returning from a holiday can thus paradoxically be an opportunity for self-reflection. With a clear head and the perspective that a holiday brings, it is easier to see what is truly working and what is not, what is fulfilling and what is draining. This clarity is valuable, and it would be a shame to squander it by immediately letting yourself be swallowed up by the daily grind. A holiday not only recharges us – it also teaches us how we want to live and work for the rest of the year.
