Getting back in the swing of things after vacation

I’m home from vacation and doing my best not to instantly get into stress mode with the backup of to-dos and requests. I must say, I did a fantastic job of not working on vacation! My computer never left the hotel safe. I had two quick fixes on my iPhone, and that was all. The break made me excited to get back to work. However, when I got back, I was slammed with requests. I love that my clients missed me! Yes, they missed me so much that one hit me with needs the minute I was spotted at the local grocery store. I’m glad had a plan set when I returned, and here’s what that plan was:

Back from vacay – day one: No work. I spent the first day unpacking, cleaning house (my 21-year-old stayed at our place), and resting. I did make one quick exception  to this rule to add a link on a client’s website needed while on vacation. It took about 5 minutes.

Back from vacay – day two:  Email purge. I worked through emails and scheduled a bunch of requests for the next few days. Again, not doing work but getting organized. I had 300+ emails in my main email box and 600+ in my filter (I use SaneBox and love it). I didn’t make it through all of them, but I did skim for the important stuff—no meetings, except for BNI. I also put an email autoresponder that says I’m working through my email backlog on this first day back, and it might take a bit for me to get back to them. There are always exceptions, and a dear friend needed some help with a site issue. I got on this right away.

Back from vacay – day three: It’s go-time. I’m back to the routine, an open calendar, and daily work journaling.  I have a plan because I took time to schedule requests and didn’t respond haphazardly to everyone’s needs.

Easing back into work is essential. I feel good about letting my clients know that I have a backlog to deal with after time off. Training my clients to respect my schedule is one of the best things I’ve focused on as a business owner. And going on vacation also reminded me of how important it is to take care of myself. They say, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” As creatives, we can’t have a dull life!

Do you plan regular vacations? How do you get back in the swing of things when you return? Please share on FB if you can!