While summer vacation season is winding down, fall will be here soon, giving people another chance to take time away from work. Vacation is essential; it allows workers to rest, recharge and return to their jobs with renewed energy and focus. If you take a few weeks off,  it can be tempting to try to catch up in one fell swoop or immediately get as stressed out as you were before the break. This is especially true if you work in high-stress public relations jobs like pr strategy or as a pr consultant. Here are a few tips to better manage a return from work after a few weeks away.

Don’t Feel Like You Need to Answer Every E-Mail: It’s not uncommon for many knowledge workers to return to the office and find that they have 500-plus emails. While getting to inbox zero in one day is tempting, rushing through it could lead you to overlook important items. Public relations is all about the details and you need time to spot them. Instead, take it step by step. Start by clearing out auto-responses that are clogging up your inbox. Then get to emails in order of importance. Emails from your supervisor and important clients should get a look sooner. Emails from colleagues can wait a little longer – there are plenty that you were copied on that you don’t need.

Mind Your Schedule: If you traveled during a break, you might have gone to a different time zone. While some digital pr pros often shift schedules, it’s still tough on your body. The best bet is to give yourself a few days to return home, acclimate to your old schedule and then get back to work. It’s not a great idea to fly from Europe the night before and show up to work the next morning when your biological clock is still nine hours ahead.

Keep Your Schedule Light Initially: There will be plenty to attend to and get caught up on when you get back to work. Don’t jump back into a full slate of public relations meetings before you have a chance to get back into the rhythm of work and catch up on everything that happened while you were gone. 

Keep Good Habits: Did you finally get to work out or read a bit during your downtime? These are good habits that should continue. While work will be a priority when you return from time off, finding time to exercise, see a friend or read a book will give you smaller opportunities to recharge.

Looking for help with pr strategy, digital pr, or public relations? MGP public relations is a top PR firm. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com

While summer vacation season is winding down, fall will be here soon, giving people another chance to take time away from work. Vacation is essential; it allows workers to rest, recharge and return to their jobs with renewed energy and focus. If you take a few weeks off,  it can be tempting to try to catch up in one fell swoop or immediately get as stressed out as you were before the break. This is especially true if you work in high-stress public relations jobs like pr strategy or as a pr consultant. Here are a few tips to better manage a return from work after a few weeks away.

Don’t Feel Like You Need to Answer Every E-Mail: It’s not uncommon for many knowledge workers to return to the office and find that they have 500-plus emails. While getting to inbox zero in one day is tempting, rushing through it could lead you to overlook important items. Public relations is all about the details and you need time to spot them. Instead, take it step by step. Start by clearing out auto-responses that are clogging up your inbox. Then get to emails in order of importance. Emails from your supervisor and important clients should get a look sooner. Emails from colleagues can wait a little longer – there are plenty that you were copied on that you don’t need.

Mind Your Schedule: If you traveled during a break, you might have gone to a different time zone. While some digital pr pros often shift schedules, it’s still tough on your body. The best bet is to give yourself a few days to return home, acclimate to your old schedule and then get back to work. It’s not a great idea to fly from Europe the night before and show up to work the next morning when your biological clock is still nine hours ahead.

Keep Your Schedule Light Initially: There will be plenty to attend to and get caught up on when you get back to work. Don’t jump back into a full slate of public relations meetings before you have a chance to get back into the rhythm of work and catch up on everything that happened while you were gone. 

Keep Good Habits: Did you finally get to work out or read a bit during your downtime? These are good habits that should continue. While work will be a priority when you return from time off, finding time to exercise, see a friend or read a book will give you smaller opportunities to recharge.

Looking for help with pr strategy, digital pr, or public relations? MGP public relations is a top PR firm. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com