How to Return to an Organized Office Stress Free After Vacation

It is finally here, the vacation you have waited for all year! Your urge is to run out of the office as soon as the minute hand reaches its destination to signal, “It’s vacation time!”

But hold back as much as you can and plan for leaving and returning. Here is a checklist of things to take care of before you leave.

Have you notified everyone that you will be out of the office? That might mean leaving a voice mail message on your phone or a special message on your email.

Have you tied up any loose ends on projects that were in progress?

Is your in-box empty?

Is your filing up-to-date?

Have you answered all emails?

Have you returned all phone calls?

Have you left clear instructions for colleagues, clients, bosses if you have handed over anything to them?

Returning

Do you have that dreaded, overwhelmed feeling of what should I tackle first? Take a deep breath! Tackle one thing at a time. Here are some of the items to attend to.

Change your voice mail or phone message back to its original.

Contact colleagues/bosses and let them know you have returned.

Return phone calls looking at what takes priority.

Check your email. Delete ones that are spam or not pertinent to your job. Look over what is left and prioritize by responding to the ones that can be answeredquickly. Answer the next most important ones. If possible, delay the ones that needa longer response.