After the holidays, which many of us have been able to enjoy —including most students— and during which we have had the opportunity to recharge our batteries, it is worth asking ourselves: how should we face the return to work or study?

I believe that, if we have made good use of the holidays, the return should not be perceived as “starting over from scratch”, but as knowing that we are returning with a full tank and with greater mental clarity.

Among the main ingredients of that deposit should be the enthusiasm for facing new challenges and opportunities, the desire to increase our knowledge and continue growing, the willingness to collaborate with colleagues, the recovery of good habits and the will to contribute, from our place, to the progress of society.

Another essential ingredient is  perseverance , which helps us to strive and overcome challenges despite the difficulties. And, undoubtedly,  optimism is also crucial, allowing us to discover that even from the most difficult situations we can learn something valuable or find something positive.

Returning with a full tank of energy doesn’t necessarily mean coming back eager to work or study twelve hours a day. The essential thing is that, thanks to this energy boost, we can get back into the necessary rhythm without feeling like everything is a huge effort.

If we’ve recharged our batteries, we should notice…

More energy when we wake up, a greater ability to concentrate, more motivation and initiative, a better mood, more restful sleep, a greater perspective on things, a greater ability to enjoy life again, and less of a feeling of being permanently subject to obligation.

But even if we’ve fully replenished our energy reserves, that doesn’t mean we should go full throttle on the first day back. After a period of disconnection, our bodies and minds need a few days to resynchronize and return to their normal rhythm.

Perhaps the process should be this:

Holidays → recovery → readaptation → rhythm → performance.

And not this other one:

Vacation → first day of work or school → immediate maximum productivity.

A smooth return to daily life should allow us to manage our regained energy, avoiding squandering it all in the first few weeks or rushing into this new phase like a bull in a china shop. This doesn’t mean, of course, giving up on working or studying well, but rather learning to get back into the swing of things in a smart and sustainable way.

The ideal attitude, both for adults returning to work and for students going back to the classroom, should combine energy, realism, calmness, prudence, and patience. Ultimately, it’s about using this break to begin a new chapter in better shape.

For adults, this could translate into returning with initiative rather than resignation; organizing tasks; avoiding unnecessary stress; seeking new ways of doing things; setting limits; recovering or improving good habits; and accepting that it takes a little while to get back into the swing of things.

The return of the students

For students, the attitude should be characterized by curiosity and a desire for self-improvement. Returning to studies should be an opportunity to learn, discover, and progress, not to start the semester thinking only, “Ugh, I’m dreading going back!”

It’s not about trying to catch up on everything at once. But it is essential to establish a daily study schedule, set small, specific goals, and commit to consistency. At the same time, it’s important to make time for friends, sports, rest, and leisure.

Studying better doesn’t mean living exclusively to study.

In both cases, it’s essential to understand that vacations aren’t just for resting from work or studies. They also allow us to recover resources, skills, and perspectives that we must then use wisely.

Therefore, a good lap should include some essential elements:

Energy + organization + enthusiasm + discipline + balance.

And it would be wise to avoid two unhealthy extreme positions: “I’ve rested; now I have to give it my all” and “The holidays are over; what a shame.”

Active gratitude

I think it can also help us to return with a kind of  active gratitude : 

“I have been given valuable time to recover my strength; now I want to use that strength well.”

This attitude can also lead us to activate our generosity and try to make the people around us a little better.

Being generous, cooperative, and helpful doesn’t mean saying yes to everything, working without limits, or ignoring your own tiredness. Those who return home rested should also know how to take care of that rest. Because if we use up all our recovered energy trying to prove we can handle everything, we’ll be exhausted again in a few weeks.

Therefore, our generosity should be  responsible generosity :

“I have regained my strength, I am grateful for it and I want to put it to good use, but I must also manage it well.”

Perhaps this is a good philosophy for the return:

Be grateful for what you have received → rediscover the meaning of what you do → put your abilities at the service of others → work and study with initiative → take care of your own balance.

If we adopt this philosophy, we could say that vacations don’t end the day we return to work or school. They continue to bear fruit in the way we come back.

And perhaps the best proof that we have truly rested is not only using the recovered energy to demand more of ourselves, but also to contribute, help, collaborate and make the lives of those around us a little better.