Don’t Let The Holiday Weekend Throw Your Work Off Track

Holiday weekends are a big deal for the employed demographic. It’s the ultimate TGIF—and with it comes parties, barbecue’s, weekend activities or for some, just a reason to relax. Many professionals will enjoy a three-day holiday with family and friends, and then the day inevitably comes when it’s time to return to work.

When the clock hits 12:01 a.m. on the morning before your return to office, there might be a few feelings of anxiety imagining the hundreds of emails waiting, more meetings to be scheduled and bottom lines to reach.

Let’s make this year a bit different by making a few pre-holiday weekend boss moves. Check out three that will have you breathing a sigh of relief as you sneak in one extra hour of sleep the night before your return to office:

1. Prioritize things to do from most important to “It can wait.”

I know you probably have a lot of apps on your phone, but try using one like Any.do Cal to help you keep it all together even while you’re on vacay. It syncs with your current calendars, social media profiles and other apps to make scheduling a lunch meeting or remembering an important deadline that much easier. Sure, once you get back, everyone’s task will seem like an emergency (to them), but be sure to put things in proper perspective and plan your activities for your return accordingly.

2. Pre-schedule any correspondences that can be …. well, pre-scheduled.

If you want to take a break from social media posting or blogging while on vacation, why not use tools like Buffer, or Hootsuite to schedule posts and updates to launch while you’re busy enjoying your personal time? Also, you can use tools in Microsoft as well as Google, including Outlook’s delayed sending option andGoogle Sheets or Boomerang.

You can also utilize Microsoft Outlook’s signature option to send customized messages and meet correspondence deadlines that are routine in your line of work. (This is actually a bit simpler than creating a spreadsheet because you can literally create tailored messages to specific people to launch for a specific span of time, just as your typical “out of office” message works.) Doing this will most certainly take a few things off your plate upon your return.

3. Come into the office at least 30 minutes early (or work at least an hour later) the night before your holiday weekend starts.

I know, I know. Nobody likes to stay at work late or come in early. But, think about how much you’ll be ahead of the game when it’s time to return. If you know a deadline is looming, take an extra 30 minutes to an hour to at least get on the path to meeting it. (I stress that this must be before or after work. You don’t want to add to the stress of catching up after a holiday weekend by having to pile on current work you’re responsible for but have missed doing.)

You can also take this time to do steps one and two above, whether you stay in the office to do it, or take an hour at home as if you’re still on the clock. If you’re really into getting a head start (or know you’ll need as much extra time as possible to catch up), begin coming in early this whole week before Fourth of July weekend hits. Studies show workers who arrive to work early see results not only in productivity, but mood and disposition as well.

With these steps you can be sure to enjoy your holiday weekend without those dreaded rushes of anxiety in anticipation of when all the debauchery —or peaceful solo time— ends.

How will you be enjoying your Fourth of July weekend? #Soundoff and follow me on Twitter @JPHazelwood.