The Best Cure for the Holiday Hangover. Or, How to Get Back to Work After the Holidays

The New Year is starting out exactly the same as last year: with a holiday hangover.

You know what I’m talking about. It’s like someone took a giant pin and burst the bubble of fun you’ve been having for the last month. Suddenly there’s a cloud of responsibility looming; nudging us as if to say, “No more fun for you; it’s back to work!”

For just a short time we’ve been able to ignore any career-related issues. Hate your job?  Even the craziest offices settle down as the company holiday party relaxes toxic co-workers. Then your PTO kicks in and suddenly things don’t seem as bad this time of year.

Looking for a job? You tell yourself hiring slows while managers take vacation, you decide to spend this “down” time updating your resume and developing a strategic job search plan that begins on January 1^st.

Yes, all will be better after the holidays.

Guess what? The New Year is here. January 1^st has come and gone.

Where is the strategic plan you had in mind? How about the updated resume? New business cards?

Did you do anything aside from reveling in time off?

Yep, it’s the holiday hangover. Too much fun; not enough work.

Ironically, despite supposedly being refreshed from taking time away from work and responsibility, it’s hard to get back to our jobs or the work of a job search after the holidays.

The holiday hangover has a firm grip on us.

The best way to get back to work or to your job search after the holidays? Hit it hard, and right away. The more you dive in, the easier it is.

• Review. What were you working on before the holidays? What do you need to pick up and what can be dropped?
• Prioritize. Scan email for important “must do now” items. Do not get sucked into trivial tasks that can wait until later.
• Plan. Make a list of what you want to accomplish, with specific deadlines.
• Work. Go for it; don’t think about it. I’ve found that once I start working, it’s amazingly easy to get back into the groove. It’s the thinking about it that’s torture.

If all else fails, make plans to meet friends after work or on the weekend to have fun. We all need balance in our lives.

Remember: Review, Prioritize, Plan, Work. It’s the best cure for the Holiday Hangover.