Returning to routine: restarting your workday mindset

Coming back to work after time off can feel harder than you expect. Even when the break was good, restorative or long overdue, that first day back can arrive with a knot in your stomach.

The inbox is fuller than you remember. Everything you pushed forward is now staring at you. The quiet rhythm you fell into over the holidays or a vacation disappears the moment you open your laptop. You might feel behind before you have even started.

That reaction is normal, and you are not failing because you feel it.

Time away disrupts routine in both helpful and unhelpful ways. Rest gives your brain a break from constant decision making, deadlines and networking demands. At the same time, routine is what keeps work feeling manageable.

When routine disappears, even familiar tasks can feel heavier. The goal of getting back into a rhythm is not to snap instantly back to peak productivity. It is to rebuild structure gently, lean on habits that already exist and set yourself up for a strong start to the new year (for example) without burning yourself out in the first week.

One of the most important things to remember is habits do not disappear just because you paused them. They go quiet but they are still there. If you had a morning routine before time off, a way you organized your day or a system for staying on top of tasks, you do not need to reinvent it.

Returning to familiar patterns gives your brain something steady to grab onto. Start by doing what you used to do well, even if you do it at a slower pace than before.

The first few days back should be about reorientation, not acceleration. Give yourself permission to spend time reviewing emails rather than responding to all of them immediately. Read meeting notes. Look at your calendar for the next two weeks. Make a short list of what actually needs attention now versus what can wait.

This creates a sense of control and reduces the background anxiety that comes from feeling unsure about what you may be missing.

A helpful way to rebuild routine is to anchor your day with one or two predictable actions. This could be starting the day by writing down your top three priorities. It might be blocking the first half-hour for planning before opening email. It could be taking a short walk at lunch to reset your energy.

These anchors do not need to be dramatic, their value comes from consistency. Once they are in place, the rest of the day feels easier to navigate.

Be realistic about your energy. The first week back often comes with mental fatigue, even if the workload is not heavy. Your brain is switching contexts again, relearning patterns and re-engaging socially. Plan your most demanding work for times of day when you typically have the most focus and allow simpler tasks to fill the low-energy moments. This is not a lack of discipline; it is strategic self-management.

When it comes to building new habits, timing matters.

The new year can be a great psychological reset, but it is easy to overdo it. Instead of trying to change everything at once, focus on one habit that would make your work life noticeably easier. That might be better meeting preparation, a clearer task tracking system or a more consistent end-of-day shutdown routine.

Choose something small enough that success is likely. Momentum builds confidence and confidence makes future change easier.

It also helps to link new habits to old ones. If you already review your calendar every morning, that is a natural place to add a quick check of your priorities. If you always grab coffee at the same time, that might be when you review messages or plan your day. Pairing new behaviours with established routines reduces the mental effort required to maintain them.

Returning from time off is also a good moment to clean up habits that are not serving you. Pay attention to what feels draining or unnecessary.

Are you jumping into email before you have even decided what matters today? Are meetings filling your schedule without clear purpose? Are you saying yes out of habit rather than intention?

Small adjustments in these areas can have an outsized impact on how manageable your workdays feel.

Another practical tip is to reset your physical workspace. Even minor changes can signal a fresh start. Clear clutter; update your task list; close browser tabs you no longer need. These actions create a sense of order and can reduce cognitive overload. A tidy workspace does not guarantee productivity, but it removes friction that makes work feel heavier than it needs to be.

It is also worth acknowledging routine is not only about tasks — it is about connection.

Reaching out to colleagues, checking in with your team and having a few human conversations can help you feel grounded again. Work often feels more overwhelming when it feels isolating. Rebuilding social rhythm is part of getting back into routine, especially after extended time away.

As you look forward, try to frame it less as a demand for improvement and more as an opportunity for alignment. Ask yourself what you want more of in your work life and what you want less of.

More focus. More clarity. Less chaos. Less rushing. Use your routines to support those goals rather than fight against them.

Finally, be kind to yourself during this transition. You do not need to prove anything in the first week back. Productivity will return. Motivation will follow action. Routine will rebuild itself through small, consistent steps. The discomfort you feel now is temporary and it is not a sign that you are behind. It is simply the feeling of starting again.

Getting back into routine after time off is not about snapping back to who you were before the break. It is about taking the best of what worked, leaving behind what did not and moving forward with intention.

With a steady approach, familiar habits and a bit of patience, you can create a rhythm that carries you confidently into the workdays.

Tory McNally, CPHR, BSc., vice-president, professional services at TIPI Legacy HR+ (formerly Legacy Bowes), is a human resource consultant, strategic thinker and problem solver. She can be reached at tmcnally@tipipartners.com