💻 Thursday Tip: Gliding back to work

[ElenaK_NemetschekBG]

There is an old Bulgarian saying that if the letter “R” is present in the month’s name - cold weather is coming. And with the weather getting colder, it means saying goodbye to summer vacations

I am assuming that most of you have enjoyed some time off during the summer and are now ready to get back to the regular working rhythm. That transition is not always easy… at least for me.

What are the methods that you personally have when it comes to settling down after summer and gliding back into work again?

Here are three things that usually help me:

1. I like to wake up 30 minutes earlier to give myself a longer rest in the morning before starting work.

2. I tend to take breaks more often during the first few days back

3. I make a list of small tasks to stimulate my brain into а feeling of achievement. Try it, it works!

I would love to know what has worked for you overtime

[Halina Cudakiewicz_Deviniti_]

Thanks @ElenaK_NemetschekBG ! I'll definitely try the second tip, didn't think of that. Also, I love the third one, works like a charm!

[ElenaK_NemetschekBG]

Hi @Halina Cudakiewicz_Deviniti_ thanks for popping in and leaving a comment!

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

As much as I love cold weather, I agree with @ElenaK_NemetschekBG about the transition period. Mornings are getting darker and colder, and morning life is a struggle some days!

I always start my day as early as possible and spend time over coffee and my morning workout. 

A nice routine before the start of my workday is putting down my daily tasks on paper, quite similar to point 3. By doing this, I am already focused on what I want to achieve and prepared to say 'no' to any ad-hoc tasks :) 

One tip for regular eye breaks and some movement is having only a glass of water (instead of a bottle or any other larger container). That makes me move regularly and have a quick breather. 

[ElenaK_NemetschekBG]

Thanks @Teodora V _Fun Inc_

So many good tips in one post! 

Morning routines are indeed something to look forward to. I usually like to switch it up and challenge myself like no phone usage until 9am or having a cup of tea instead of coffee.

Saying 'no' to ad-hoc tasks is a big thing! You give me a good idea now to start writing down my focus tasks of the day to keep track of what I need to do! 

Wow! Using one glass of water instead of a big container - so simple, yet very effective for taking breaks. 

[Halina Cudakiewicz_Deviniti_]

Hi @Teodora V _Fun Inc_ - I used to have a big water bottle on my desk, but now I do the same when it comes to water/tea. :)

[Jimmy Seddon]

Great topic @ElenaK_NemetschekBG!

I didn't always use email inbox filters but I have found that the return from vacation is where those really shine!

Coming back to 500 - 1000+ emails is very overwhelming and trying to sift through what is important, vs what isn't can be challenging.  You can sometimes spend the entire first day simply trying to pick through and organize everything.

However, with filters in place while you will still see an unread count greater than zero and that triggers my OCD, I can focus on the things that I need to address/respond to first and I can get to some of the other none critical notifications as I have time throughout the week!

[ElenaK_NemetschekBG]

@Jimmy Seddon Hi Jimmy! 

That's a great tip! How do you organize the filters? Is it picking up on some keywords in the email or is there another way to group them together? 

[Jimmy Seddon]

Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to this!

it's a combination of both.  For example, I know that all Jira notifications are coming from a certain address so I filter that address to a "jira-notifications" folder.

For others, I will look for key words in the subject (such as mentions of Jira, Confluence, Atlassian) coming from users I support as most of those I will simply be creating Jira tickets for.

[Neghena drawio Diagrams]

I like starting my off early just to get some stretches and coffee in before I go straight into emails. I personally like keeping my mornings light after time off and then scheduling meetings in the afternoon. This allows me to focus on self organization first thing and be more engaged towards 10/11.

Also, love making lists to make sure i am not missing anything. I get brain fog right after vacation haha.

[ElenaK_NemetschekBG]

Hi @Neghena drawio Diagrams ,

Thanks for popping in with a comment! 

I think we have very similar morning routines! 

If you are looking for an easy way to keep your tasks organized I also wrote an article on using a priority matrix in Confluence Whiteboards -> 🗂️ Prioritizing work makes the dream work! - Atlassian Community

Greetings,

Elena