Latest updated: 19 January 2023

The summer is coming to an end, and for most people this means returning to work after several weeks of vacation. When returning from vacation, it is completely natural to feel some anxiety and worry. However, it is still important to listen to the signals of your brain and body and do what you can to manage the anxiety in the right way - especially if it becomes more persistent and affects you for a longer period of time.

Feeling anxiety about returning to work after a summer vacation is both natural and common. It is the body and brain's way of preparing you for the adjustment, so that you are ready for the demands placed on you when working. The anxiety can also be intensified by the feeling that the vacation was not long enough - or not calm enough - to really allow you to recharge your batteries.

1. Soft transition

To alleviate feelings of anxiety and stress, it is important to try to achieve a smooth transition from vacation to work. Jumping into the deep end on the first day of work after vacation is not a good idea. The best option may be to work remotely for the first few days, if that is possible. But there are other things you can do: Make sure to plan your return to work properly and ensure that not everything that is difficult and stressful comes at you all at once. Plan breaks in your work schedule; take proper lunch and coffee breaks for the first few days. If you have a meeting with a colleague, make it a "walk and talk."

The anxiety after the vacation is partly due to the fact that it feels difficult to jump back into everyday routines and habits again. Therefore, it is important to make sure that this does not happen too abruptly. For example, you can continue some of the summer and vacation habits for a few days or weeks after starting work. Plan some continued summer activities with family and friends in the evenings and weekends for a few weeks.

2. Take care of yourself physically

If you want to have a job start that is as stress-free as possible, it is important that you take care of yourself physically. The most important factor is probably that you take care of your sleep, so that you feel rested when you come to work.

But it can also feel good to exercise, so that you feel alert, fresh and clear-headed during the first days after vacation. Choose an exercise form that makes you feel calm and harmonious, maybe in connection with nature.

3. Work with focus and concentration

It is also important to take care of oneself mentally and mentally when starting work again. When transitioning from vacation to work, it is easy to feel mentally split, and in that case it can be beneficial to work a little extra with focus and concentration.

You can do this by practicing mindfulness and meditation, which has scientific support and can give faster results than one might think. In short, it is about getting a healthy distance from the constant flow of thoughts in the mind, and focusing on being present in the moment.

There are also other ways to strengthen focus and concentration. Some find it comfortable to take a break from social media for a few weeks, since these more or less rely on us being unfocused and unfocused. Others choose to walk or bike to work instead of driving or taking public transportation, which can also provide an opportunity to gather their focus before the workday.

4. Reflect on your work situation

In the three tips above, we have assumed that your anxiety in connection with starting work again is natural and temporary. But some people can be affected by a more persistent anxiety and worry, which in the worst case has followed them throughout the vacation and has become increasingly intense as the start of work approaches. If you recognize yourself in that description, you have every reason to reflect on your work situation.

Perhaps your anxiety is a sign that there is too little that feels positive or too much that feels negative in your work situation. In that case, you must take that signal seriously.

That there is too little that feels positive means that you are missing something. Maybe you don't think the job is challenging enough or gives enough development opportunities. Maybe you don't think you are using your talents enough. That there is too much that feels negative can for example be about conflicts at work, that the boss doesn't listen to you or that you have an unreasonable workload.

In that case, you need to find out what feels wrong with your work situation and what you can do about it. You can do this by analyzing the situation yourself and/or by talking to your family, your boss or a coach. Regardless of whether you are missing something positive or experiencing too much of something negative, or both, you must do something about it. If you BOTH miss something positive and experience something negative, you should probably consider the possibility of changing jobs. In other cases, you can find a solution together with your boss. Problems can be solved, roles can be redefined and there may be more development opportunities than you think.

One should not be too alarmed if one feels a certain anxiety when returning to work after vacation, but it is always important to be aware of one's own signals. If the signals are serious, decide to take action immediately and make autumn a much-needed new start.