Be pragmatic with your inbox

You can use a similar tactic when it comes to tackling your inbox too, so don’t be psyched out by the scary number of unread emails. “At least a third of your emails will be queries that aren’t urgent, don’t require any action on your part or have already been dealt with while you were away,” says Suzie Hughes, HR and operations director at Gleeson Recruitment Group. “As for the rest, briefly scan and pick out 20 which require your immediate attention, take a break and repeat the process again. By the end of the day, things will be back under control, and you can breathe a sigh of relief.”

Re-establish your daily routine quickly

One of the best – and most liberating – things about a holiday can be the lack of structure. Want to lie in until midday? Fine. Spend hours lazing by the pool? It’s all good. When we go back to normality, though, it can be tempting to adopt this freewheeling attitude, but according to Sarah Leach, lecturer in coaching at Henley Business School, it’s important to re-establish your routines quickly upon your return. “This could mean getting back into exercise, morning journaling or a consistent sleep routine as quickly as you can to help you adjust back into normal life.”

Set some mini goals

To give yourself a clearer focus, Leach also recommends setting mini goals of things you’d like to achieve for the first few days back. “This will help you get through the initial back-to-work shock,” she says. “Visualise how your new, refreshed self wants to spend the first week back and keep it front and centre in your mind.” Your goals don’t have to be life-changing; they don’t even have to be particularly ambitious. Just vowing to tick off that piece of life admin you’ve been procrastinating for weeks or aiming to go for a few walks on your lunch breaks can make a difference.

Struggling to focus after your holiday? Here are 9 ways to get back in the zone