It’s great to have time off during the holidays, but if all your work is waiting for you the first day back can be a killer.
Liz Hughes of Office Team, a staffing service in Menlo Park, Calif., says that on average it takes a day and a half to “recover” from a vacation and get back to normal.
To make it easier, she suggests that before you go you change your voice-mail and e-mail greetings to make it clear you’re on vacation, and to offer the name of a colleague who can help with emergencies. That way people are less likely to leave more than one message, making it easier to get through your mail.
If your vacation includes an out-of-town trip, Hughes says you’ll get the most relaxation out of it not by flying home Sunday night, but getting back a day early so you can catch up on errands and laundry and not tire yourself out totally your first week back.
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