Workplace Wellbeing: Put your best foot forward when it’s time to go back
Ciara Spillane. Photograph Moya Nolan
Ciara Spillane used to dread going back to work after the holidays. The 43-year-old from Dublin was working in the tech sector at the time and anxiety would kick in a few days before she was due to return to the office.
“It would manifest itself psychologically and physically,” she says. “I’d sleep for only a few hours each night. My stomach would be unsettled, and I’d have pains from clenching my hands and jaw. I’d find it hard to be in the moment with my friends and family because work would be on my mind constantly. I felt sick at the thought of it.”
Many will recognise what Spillane describes as they contemplate going back to work after the Christmas holidays. A 2020 US survey of 1,119 professionals found that 87% feel trepidation before returning to the office. Their reservations included getting back into a routine, catching up on administrative work, and feeling overwhelmed.
Shane Cradock is a performance practitioner and the author of and even when working with high-fliers, he has come across the post-holiday doldrums.
“It’s far more common than many people think,” he says. “I’d go so far as to say that it affects most of us to some extent.”
Chartered occupational and counselling psychologist Lynne Forrest agrees. “Most people probably feel some sort of negative anticipation for the strict routine that will face them again after the holidays,” she says. “The early starts, commutes, deadlines, task juggling, and dark mornings and short days of January all contribute to a sense of general malaise post-Christmas.”
These are not the only reasons we might not be bouncing back into the office this January. “Most of us take a break from reality over Christmas, slipping out of our normal routines and into more fun ones,” says Cradock. “We might drink more alcohol than normal, eat richer and heavier food, go to bed later and lie in later in the mornings. Our body is out of sync, so it’s to be expected that our mind is too. It manifests in children not wanting to go back to school. It manifests in adults as not wanting to go back to work. It’s totally normal.”
Back-to-work blues affects people in different ways. Some feel a mild sense of anxiety or worry that they can easily set aside. Others, like Spillane, are overcome by a feeling of dread.
“People can feel a sense of overwhelm at the work routine and tasks that await them and that feeling can spoil the last days of their holidays,” says Forrest.
But there are ways of countering this. “Allowing ourselves to only think of the negative will add to our negative mood,” says Forrest. “So try reframing your thoughts about the pending return to work in a more positive way. An example might be focussing on a project you’re looking forward to working on or seeing your work colleagues.”
Another tip is not to project into the future. “Intentionally staying in the present will help,” says Forrest. “Looking to the future can trigger anxious ‘what if’ thoughts.”
Cradock says those anxious thoughts are less likely to take over if we understand where they are coming from. “For most people, the dread comes from the impending change in routine, and just knowing that can minimise the dread around it. What you think affects how you feel so if you can change the way you think, the way you feel will change accordingly.”
In the days before returning to work, Cradock takes practical steps to move out of holiday mode. “Hard-won experience has taught me that if I wait until the night before school to change my kids’ bedtime routine back to normal, there will be pushback and the back-to-school period won’t be easy for anyone,” he says. “So I start bringing their bedtimes back three or days before the holidays end. I do the same for myself. I cut back on drinking, exercise more, go to bed and get up at more regular times. These steps, especially getting a good night’s sleep, help my body and mind prepare for what’s to come.”
He also plans things to look forward to in January. “January is different to other months,” he says. “Lots of us regret spending too much money over Christmas and as a result, we find ourselves waiting for the month to be over in order for another paycheque to hit our bank accounts. It’s cold, dark and wet outside. All of this can be mentally challenging.”
This is why he believes it’s important to schedule some fun. “It can be as simple as meeting friends for a walk and doesn’t have to cost anything,” he says. “Having some events in the diary could help to counter the back-to-work blues.”
Low spirits can indicate that deeper issues are at play for some people. “Sometimes it can be about not liking your job, being bored or having too many demands made of you,” says Forrest. “Other times, it can be about poor interpersonal relationships with a boss or colleague. It can also be about feeling undervalued or supported or dreading a big forthcoming project.”
Spillane eventually realised her feelings stemmed from not enjoying her work. “I had left the tech sector but gone back to it again for practical and financial reasons even though it wasn’t where I found my sense of purpose,” she says. “I was also working in an under-resourced team, and everyone felt overwhelmed. I finally understood that it wasn’t natural to constantly feel as worried about work as I did, so I left. I now work for myself as a career coach and trainer.”
These days, she never feels the deep dread that she once did. “There can be times when I might feel slightly stressed about a busy week or an important meeting, but it never affects my ability to enjoy my weekend and relax,” she says. “It’s a far more manageable feeling.”
Spillane knows from the inside out how to help clients understand their negative feelings as the holidays come to a close. “I support them in finding the cause and we look at whether there is anything that could fix it,” she says. “Sometimes, a change of team or role or manager might help. Other times, it can be a mindset problem the client can work on to make them feel more confident and happier at work. And in some cases, the right thing is for them to find a job that better suits them and their needs.”
Cradock urges us all to go easy ourselves as we transition back to work this January. “It’s common for our mood to be lower than normal at this time of the year,” he says.
“Christmas may have been tiring or it might not have been very happy, and the long dark days of January won’t help. Trust that you will gradually feel better as the days go by. You readjust to the routine and gain momentum. But if you’re not shaking the negative feelings after a couple of weeks, it may be a good idea to talk to a doctor. Don’t suffer in silence. There will be things you can do to help yourself feel better.”
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