How To Bounce Back From School Holidays
We all have picture postcard memories of our amazing holidays that we will treasure forever, but school holidays can also be tough for parents!
Most parents dread the six weeks of ‘I’m bored’ or ‘I’m hungry’. Even if you have the most organised schedule and childcare regime, parents are impacted by the December holidays one way or another. You may choose not to take leave, but it’s been super quiet at work, or you had to take a chunk out of your precious annual leave allowance.
Bouncing back from school holidays come January can be daunting, especially if you have children starting school.
1. Keep the memories close
You can never underestimate the emotional side of the summer holidays. As much as you have been wishing for the start of school to come around quickly, you actually miss your little cherubs. If your children are just starting their school journey, there’s a whole load of extra anxiety too. You suddenly feel lost. Remind yourself of the happy times with a photo or memento of the summer holidays on your desk or in your handbag. Choose an item which means something to you, it doesn’t need to be social media worthy. Just remember not to bore everyone at work with all of your school holidays anecdotes!
2. Go easy on yourself
You may be desperate to get back to work, but bear in mind that if you’ve been away or on holiday. Give yourself time to adjust. Try not to fill your diary with non-stop meetings or challenging deadlines. Include some time for checking and responding to your emails, as well as proper catch ups with your colleagues. Make sure you take plenty of breaks, get some fresh air outside and stay away from long periods on your screens.
3. Get healthy
Now’s the perfect time to reverse the effect of non-stop snacking, ice creams and glasses of Prosecco. Stock up on fresh ingredients and eat plenty of vegetable and fruit that will put you in tip-top condition for concentration and focus. Ensure that you are drinking lots of water. If you can’t face good old tap water, try the carbonated variety or pimp your water with lemon, cucumber, fruits or herbs.
4. The importance of routine
Avoid early morning stress and panic by getting as much prepared in advance as possible. Have a set bed time for the kids. There are loads of easy things you can do to stay organised, like freezing sandwiches for packed lunches or having different coloured socks for each family member. Have everything you need to hand in the morning so that you don’t have to compromise on hair drying or make up application.
It may take a few days bouncing back from the school holidays but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Stay focused on the good times and look forward to half term.