The Christmas and New Year’s holidays have largely wound up and workloads are ramping back up, whether it be at school or work. As we come back from this break, whether it was spent at home with family, on vacation, on vacation with family, getting a bunch of work done in a quiet and deserted office, or huddled in a corner wondering why you ate so much turkey, we’re faced with the prospect of how to get back into the work headspace.Many of us find this transition difficult. We’re suddenly faced with things such as the busier commute, the packed buses, and a few more months of snow and rain before spring arrives.

So how do you overcome this? There are a few things you can do that can help ease that transition and get you back into the swing of things. Here are a few:

Enjoy the winter

I know, I know, easier said than done, and this comment seems a little facetious. But there’s more to it than just a simple thought of saying “Yay Winter!” (though that can be a part of it). Basically, try to look at the season in a different light. Look for the things you enjoy, whether it be the the sparkling of sun off fresh snow, skiing at your favourite hill, curling up in front of the fireplace with a good book, the warm food and drink of the season, like ciders and soups, or the break in the heat for those of us who like the weather a little fresher.

Look at this as a beginning, not an ending

Instead of looking at this as the end of your holidays, look at it as an opportunity to get a start on new things. With New Year’s just past, this can be an easy mental distinction to make, so make the most of it. Start that project at work or home you’ve been talking about for the past few months, meet someone new, start a new workout or yoga class. Start a personal development project, like a Happiness Project or a 30 day trial. Give yourself something to look forward to about the season, about work, about life in general, and then every day isn’t a struggle. The adage “Time flies when you’re having fun,” is definitely something to keep in mind.

Use the clean slate

In line with the last point, use this as a clean slate to try a few things in your work process that you may not have tried before. Maybe implement a new time management system, a la GTD or ZTD. Clean the office and reorganize things. I’ve found that getting to this clean slate point suddenly makes things easier to tackle, and gives you a much clearer picture of what needs to be done. Rather than seeing this looming amorphous blob of work, we know what needs to be done and can start getting into it. Throw in some productivity tricks like Merlin Mann’s (10+2)*5 rule or its like, and you can trick yourself into getting things done with a minimum of barriers.

Eat the right foods . . .

Okay, this one I’ll admit I’m not too sure about, but I came across this article in the Globe and Mail some time back, highlighting foods that help get your brain “back in gear”. This category could also include my personal favourite for kick-starting the day, a nice big cup of coffee.

I hope some of these tips can find a resonance out there, if anyone has anything they’d like to add that helps them get back into the swing of things, please do so in the comments!