Disruption to your routine doesn’t need to mean starting over. A bank holiday, a holiday, a week that didn’t go to plan. Whatever took you off your usual track, getting back doesn’t have to be as hard as it feels on the first day back.

the opportunity.

Coming back from a break, your brain is still catching up. Before it kicks back into your usual rhythm, there’s a window to take stock. I love this time and the opportunity it gives me. What was working before I went away? What wasn’t? What do I want to do differently? It’s too easy to just keep going, keep pushing forward, and miss the chance to make adjustments that might make a real difference.

Coming back from holiday this time, I welcomed this time to change. I’d become very habitual in where and how I work. Yes, I help people create habits. Yes, I think habits are a great tool. But sometimes they need to be changed or tweaked. Starting early had stopped working for me before I went away. I needed a different environment, a change of scene. The break gave me the space to see that more clearly.

my approach before I leave.

The last thing I do before I finish work for a break is write down everything, I need to remember when I get back. Deadlines, documents I’ll want to refer to, meetings I need to prep for. A proper brain dump. It does two things. It helps me switch off completely because everything is written down and I don’t need to carry it in my head, and it means I can pick up where I left off without the usual day-one fog.

As I work through my list on the first day back, I can assess things for importance and spot changes in how I want to approach them. The list becomes a prompt for reflection, not just a to-do.

the questions worth asking.

Before I left this time, I asked myself a few things that I’d encourage anyone to ask after a break.

what about my day has been working over the last month?

For me, co-working has been good, and I want more of it. Some networking events have been valuable and I’ve enjoyed them. Having a day off at the weekend and a free evening in the week has made a real difference to how I feel.

what hasn’t been working?

I’d fallen out of the habit of starting early. I don’t feel like sitting at my desk first thing if there’s nothing drawing me there, and I’d stopped planning that time in properly.

what events in my diary have I not enjoyed and need to stop?

There are a couple of networking events I’ve been finding hard. I used to love them, and I can still see their value in theory, but they aren’t helping me at this point in my business. It’s felt incredibly freeing to recognise, admit and accept this. If you’ve decided something isn’t working but you’re still doing it, that’s worth some consideration.

how have I felt about my work environment?

Stale. I used to move around more, work in different places, travel into Glasgow a couple of times a week. Somewhere along the way I stopped doing that and I’ve felt the difference but haven’t taken the time to stop and acknowledge it. That’s changing.

what to do on your first day back.

The first day back doesn’t need to be a sprint to make up for lost time. That pressure usually makes things worse, not better. Instead, before you open your inbox or start on your to-do list, take five minutes. Look back at the last week you worked. Think about what you want to keep doing and what you want to stop. Pick one thing to focus on today.

I’ve heard people say they book their self-care time for the year in advance, so they make sure it happens. I’m doing the same with proper breaks now. This was my first real holiday in seven years, and I came back feeling the difference. That’s not something I want to leave to chance again.

What’s the one thing you’d plan ahead of time to make sure it happens?

If getting back on track is something you find consistently hard, that’s what I help you figure out. Book a free introductory call.