Beat the Back to Work Blues Part 1

Going back to work after a holiday or even the weekend off can seem like a bind.  But work is a significant part of your life and how and what you do there matters especially as it affects your well being.  Working smarter will help make your time at work easier.

Avoid having food and drink at meetings - they're not social occasions

Match work to your natural rhythms. 

Try to coordinate challenging tasks with the times you are likely to be at your best. If you’re a morning person, for example, don’t start by going through your emails. Instead, tackle that big thought piece and leave the emails for when you’re in a slump. If you have a regular meeting that’s always a bit flat, hold it at a different time of day. If your boss seems on their best form in the afternoon, approach them with your ideas then.

Rethink meetings. 

We attend too many meetings. Before you agree to a meeting, ask what the purpose is and what the organiser needs from you. Meetings should be for decision-making and discussion rather than sharing of information, so if everyone prepares properly you should be able to limit them to 15 minutes. Stay standing (to keep alert) and avoid having food or drinks, which turn meetings into social occasions more likely to drag on.

Edit every email, cutting its length by at least 50 per cent. Writing a shorter email means that the receiver is more likely to read it, make a quick decision, and write a shorter reply, which in turn saves you time. But what you write is also important. More often than not, we write what we want to say rather than what will get people to think, feel and do the things we want them to. Stick to the facts, keep things simple and, if there’s a request, make it clear.

Get cut-throat. 

Your top resource at work is your time, so work out who and what you need to spend yours on in order to achieve your goals. At the beginning of each week, decide on three things you want to achieve by Friday, as well as a few people you want to have spent some time with. If you hold steady to your plan, you’ll stand a much better chance of achieving at least some of it.

Step away from the smartphone. If you’re angry or upset at work, do not make any calls or write any emails, at all, to anyone. An emotional email or call will only cause you more repair work further down the line when you have to apologise or rebuild a broken relationship. Leave the work environment, do something you enjoy for an hour, and wait until you are totally calm before acting. If you can, leave things overnight. If you have to respond there and then, keep things factual. Report only on what you’ve seen and own your emotions.

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