How do you get back into “work mode” after holidays or a sabbatical?
Honestly, I sometimes feel a bit of internal pressure or even fear that if I miss something, it will be hard to get back into work, especially because I’m strongly embedded in tech.
And you can see it… when you disconnect for 2 or 3 days and don’t follow the news, you feel mentally better, but at the same time you start losing that sense of overview that feels quite important for your career.
Because progress doesn’t stop, and every pause feels like it costs you time and, metaphorically, reduces your orientation in the industry.
How do you manage to get back into work mode after time off?
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I've noticed that the things I worry about missing during a break are rarely the things that matter six months later.
Most industry knowledge is surprisingly persistent. What's fragile is momentum and routine, so when I come back, I focus on rebuilding those first instead of trying to catch up on every update.
The irony is that a few days away often improves my judgment about what deserves attention in the first place.
@varun1jan Maybe I should step back too for a few days :)
I hear you, it's usually a bit scattered once you return but it's starts with the morning of getting back into work mode for me. Its like compartmentalizing, work mode on...Im back, checking up on everything before I left and starting off from there.
@johnsongill But doesn't it make you less focused?
@busmark_w_nika It could but it always works for me. Once the catch up is done, there is nothing left to distract me.
For me the trick is not trying to catch up with everything in one day. I check what really changed, ignore the noise and start with one small task I can fiinish
@gizem_ozturk What is the noise? And what is really important? :) I need to first handle these 2 questions :)
@busmark_w_nika important is anything that changes what I should do this week. The rest of mostly noise even if it feels interesting. I try to catch up in layers not all at once
I try to make the first day back a re entry day instead of a normal workday. I check what truly changed, make a short priority list and pick one easy task to finish. Trying to catch up with everything at once usually makes me feel more behind
@bailknur How do you decide what is important? :)
When I see my friend that he is working but I am not that is the biggest reasons motivates me😂
@bhanu__partap Everybody needs that friend :D
@busmark_w_nika :)
I try to create a list of to-do items before I go on holidays, so I can jump on them when I am back. If I didn't do that, I block 1-2 hours in the morning on the first day to see where things are and align on priorities. But my longest vacation was probably 4 weeks.
@llsbet For how long were you catching up with the things you missed during the vacay?
I plan that the first morning back is dedicated to catching up on emails/messages, but not replying to them, just creating a prioritisation list. Then I close my laptop and go back on holiday because it's all too much. J/K, the prioritisation list gets me on track quickly. But to be honest, I don't shut off completely when taking a holiday.
@you_x_you_i Does it help? Because if I started morning with emails – my whole day would be gone :D
This is so true. I always overestimate how much I've actually missed vs. how much I just scrolled past.
@richard_smith_sv Scrolling is a productivity ki*ller 😬
That feeling of the industry moving on without you is real, especially in AI right now where things shift week to week. I've stopped trying to "catch up" on everything and instead just pick 2-3 signal sources I actually trust to skim on day one back.
Honestly the first morning back I just do a brain dump of whatever's on my plate, no meetings, no Slack. Gives me an hour to get oriented before the noise kicks in, and it weirdly makes re-entry feel less brutal.
If it's just a single day, it's usually easy peasy for me to jump back into the flow.
If it's a week...that's a whole different context! The entire world could of changed by then! I love following the snowball effect and just do something productive (even if it's not a top tier need/want). Just something to get back into the flow of working. I figure most coworkers would have grace for people coming back from a longer break.