Being out of the office is usually really great.  Whether you're off-site at a conference or on a vacation, it breaks up the monotony of being at your desk everyday.  The worst part... being back in the office.  Yesterday was my first day back after being out of the office for nearly a week.  There is always so much to do.  It can often be overwhelming to try and catch up from being out, but here on some tips to keep from drowning in the tasks.

Make sure you're energized

There's nothing worse after being out of the office than getting a sluggish start to your day.  Then it really feels like you're living in a never ending day.  Have a good breakfast and make sure you're stocked up on good energizing food for the day.  A banana in place of the cup of coffee will do wonders for your focus and energy.  Though I understand if that cup of coffee is a staple!

Carve out extra time

If you usually take 30 minutes to go through your emails, add 30 minutes to that for each day that you've been out.  Now if you were on vacation this could take awhile.  I sometimes like to dig through my emails before I get into the office.  If you're like me and you checked emails while you were out then it may not take quite as long.  Last week I was at a conference and still working, so I was able to keep up with most of my emails while I was out of the office.  Still, I needed some extra time to re-organize my inbox yesterday and now I feel ready to tackle today.

Reschedule meetings

Having a litany of meetings on your calendar upon your return can further exasperate your feelings of being overwhelmed.  When possible, reschedule those meetings occurring on your first day back, and say "no" to people that want to drop in on you.  I recommend closing your door for some extra quiet time as you get caught up.

Prioritize

When you are organizing your to-do list definitely consider things that are a priority.  My motto is that if no one is dying then everything else you get done is bonus.  Sometimes when you return to the office there are fires to put out.  Maybe a client is mad they couldn't get a response from you, or perhaps you forgot to take care of something before you left.  in these cases, addressing the immediate needs becomes a priority.  After these things are taken care of decide what can be done today and what can wait until tomorrow.  I promise these things will still be there in the morning.

Take a break

Yes, I realize that this one is counter intuitive since you were just out of the office, but keeping your mind sharp in order to complete complex tasks is important.  Schedule a break on your calendar where you can step away from your office, catch up with your colleagues, head to the break room, or take a walk.  When you return to your desk you will likely feel more productive and more empowered to tackle a more complicated item on your to-do list. 

Being out of the office can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be.  Just remember that returning to work isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  You'll be back into the swing of things in no time!

With that, I'm ready to tackle day two back in the office.  Lucky for me, it's a holiday week, so I'll be going through this process again on Monday, except this time the rest of the nation will be too!