MacDonald's top tips:
1. Don't fight it. Accept that the first few days back might be a bit rough That's normal. Allow those emotions to be there.
2. Don't act impulsively. If you're thinking of quitting, that could be valid. Breaks and time off are a time of reflection and it might be that people are rethinking their priorities, especially amid Covid. Take your time and be cautious about big decisions. Talk them through with someone your trust.
3. Ease back into it. Give yourself a bit of time and space to settle back in. A lot of people clear the thousands of emails in their inbox. That can be a good, low-pressure place to start. For managers, it's a good time to be attentive. Listen to your staff. And it's a bad time to put pressure on.
4. Hold to aspects of the summer break you enjoyed.That might be stopping at the beach after work or getting good outdoor and family time.
5. Give yourself something to look forward toWe've got a staccato start to the year with long weekends coming up. Make plans for a day trip or mini-break.
MacDonald adds it's always a tough time of the year for parents with young kids - who remain on holiday. But at least with Covid, more employers are open to working-from-home, at least part of the time.
The darker side to the pandemic is that many people were shattered by the end of 2021.
"Two or three weeks off might not have been enough," MacDonald says. If that's the case, talk to your manager about taking some more time off.
That leads us to AUT Professor of Human Resource Management Jarrod Haar, who has spent the pandemic tracking a rise in worker stress. The academic says:
1. Don't feel guilty about starting slow. Christmas time can be hectic and crazy busy as we finish work off for 2021. But when we start 2022 we sometimes feel it's automatically 'pedal to the metal'. Instead, a slow, gentle start is to be encouraged. Reconnect with co-workers – especially us Aucklanders with our long lockdown. Build up the rhythm and perhaps target February as 'back to normal'.
2. Enjoy the little things Have lunch with nice colleagues. Take a coffee meeting and enjoy both. Social connections with some lovely weather are magic.
3. Prioritise your wellbeing. 2021 was a tough year. But if we can learn from that, then that means it wasn't all rotten.
4. Remember wellbeing and productivity go hand-in-hand. So, what benefits you personally will also influence your work and organisation and vice-versa. This should also encourage managers to set slower/lower targets for January and work to reconnect staff and build up to making 2022 a cracker year.
Haar's ongoing Wellbeing@Work survey of 1000 Kiwi workers has found the number with burnout symptoms increased from 11 per cent in February 2020 on the brink of the outbreak to 35.2 per cent by November 2021 as Aucklanders endured their third lockdown.
The AUT professor looks for two more of the following signs of burnout:
1. Exhaustion: Both physically and mentally.
2. Mental distance:: You no longer consider what you do has any value or worth.
3. Emotional impairment: Being unable to control your emotions, such as showing up to work and crying.
4 Cognitive impairment: Being distracted and forgetful at work.
If you're at risk of burnout, talk to your manager about sick leave or even unpaid leave for a couple of weeks.
While that can be tricky, Haar notes it's easier than the alternative. If you suffer full-on burnout, it can take two or three months of time off work to recover.
"No one has three months' worth of leave saved up, and not many have enough money to survive three months without work, so prevention is way more beneficial," he says.
And of course, you shouldn't be on the brink before you turn to some self-care.
Which brings us to:
Rotorua life coach Annie Canning's tips for managing stress as people return to work
1. Stay present and focus on enjoying your remaining holiday time with loved ones
2. If work is on your mind put dedicated time aside to triage emails or plan for your return to work
3. Reduce your alcohol intake and focus on healthy food choices
4. Go to bed earlier and get up at the same time daily
5. Stay conscious to your inner dialogue and what your brain is telling you about work.
Challenge the narrative and focus on aspects of your job you love
6. Get active.
7. When you return to work keep it easy. Don't schedule in a tonne of stuff to do during and after work
