Hello gorgeous! I’ve been away from my blog for an entire week because Miss Fairchild and her gaggle of gorgeous girls have been staying with me.  Rather than try to carve out time for blogging, I scheduled a bunch of posts and stepped away from the computer.  I had an awesome time chilling out with the Fairchild clan and recharging a bit.  But now they’ve headed back to the city and it’s time for me to get back into blogging.  And cleaning.  And dealing with the pile-up of etsy orders that have accumulated.

It can be mighty overwhelming to try to get back into work after a break.  Here’s how I do it.

Clean like a mad woman

When I’ve gotten a bit behind with work, the first thing I like to do is clean my house from top to bottom.  The physical activity energizes me and gives my brain a bit of a rest.  I find it really hard to work on blogging or crafting when my house is messy, so getting the whole place shiny and fresh is my first order of business.

Do a brain dump

After a while away from work, my mind tends to start swirling with all the tasks that need to be done.  I start feeling overwhelmed with the load of emails to be replied to, packages to be sent, blog posts to write and bills to be paid.  It’s enough to drive a girl into paralysis!

My solution is to have a ‘brain dump”.  I take a clean sheet of paper and a pen and I start writing down everything that I need to do.  Every. Single. Thing.  Big tasks and small tasks.  Don’t try to prioritize them, just get them all down on paper.  Doing this exercise really helps to clear my mind and gives me a bit more focus.

Schedule like your life depends on it.

After your brain dump, you’ll have a pieces of paper covered in scribbled notes.  Rather than use this as a demented to-do list, take out your planner or calendar and start scheduling those tasks.  Break them down and figure out when you’ll have time to complete each one.  Take note of any deadlines and prioritize your tasks accordingly.

Set three major goals a day

Rather than trying to do All The Things at once, I like to set three major goals each day.  These are the three things that I must do before the day is over.  Three is a do-able number for me, but you might only want to set a single task each day, or you may feel up to doing four or five.  I try to do those three tasks first, if possible.  That way they’re done and dusted and I can consider any additional work I get done a bonus.

Recognize your limits.

Go easy on yourself.  You won’t be able to catch up on your work all at once.  It might take a few days or even a couple of weeks until you feel like you’re totally back on track.  If you try to push yourself too hard, you’ll feel exhausted and your break will have been pointless.

It’s so important to give yourself a rest each day and don’t try to over-extend yourself.  Be kind to yourself and feel confident in the fact that you’ve got a plan, and you’ll be back on track in no time if you stick to it.

How do you get back on track after a break?