Ahhh, the three-day holiday weekend. Everyone's favourite! Having that extra time, although a small difference in your regular weekend can really help recharge the batteries. 

The only issue is that when you get back to the office you are often hit with emails, phone messages and less time to manage your heavy workload now that there are only four days left in the week.

Starting to feel overwhelmed? Here are a few tips on how to be productive after a three-day long weekend.

Plan before you peel

Before you sign out for the long weekend it's important to look at your schedule the following week to make any adjustments that normally would have happened on the day off. There's nothing worse than getting back to work and hit with meeting after meeting. 

We use ClickUp at ICS, so our deliverables are organized with due dates. This makes it easy for us to be able to readjust our to-do lists for a holiday weekend and adjust our calendars so we aren't swamped the day we get back. I also recommend that when you create your out of office message that you set expectations with how responsive you will be over the weekend and upon your return. 

Block OFF time to play catch up

You never know what you're going to get hit with first when you get back after a vacation or long weekend. Blocking time off allows you to have a set time to do the little things that need to be done so you can catch up and get to work on the big picture stuff. Blocking your morning or afternoon off on your first day back is a good way to regain balance for the rest of the week. 

Now that you have a set time booked off be sure to take advantage of your time by creating a reasonable to-do list that you can prioritize in order of importance. 

Schedule when you can

Scheduling emails and social media posts while you are away gives the appearance that you are hard at work when in reality you might be sitting on a beach somewhere! 

Personally, I am a big fan of scheduling personal emails to people at ideal open times. If I am playing catch up on my email inbox late at night, I won't send it then in case the person receiving opens it and then forgets versus scheduling the email to go to them shortly after they would arrive at their desk. If you are using HubSpot for your sales enablement, you can do this with their email tool. 

Keep the relaxation going

When coming back from a relaxing weekend it's important not to burn yourself out by taking on too much. Looking at your list of to-do's can be daunting and that's why its so important to take a breathe and relax before you start going into intense work mode. 

Taking a regular break to have a drink or water, walk around the office or go for a walk around the city will help clear your mind so you don't burn out. I personally enjoy going for a half hour run 3-4 times a week before I have my lunch. It allows me to shut off temporarily since I can't check emails while I am running.

Do you have any tips or techniques to combat a work week after a long weekend or vacation?