8 Stages of Going Back to Work After a Vacation, in GIFs!

Gone are the days of holiday indulgences and sleeping in.

It feels like it was only yesterday when the year-end holidays started. Fast forward to 2018 and you're faced with a blank slate. Going back to normal after all the festivities can feel rather...sad.

To help cope with the post-holiday blues (it's a real thing!), here are the 8 stages that everyone goes through:

1. Denial

You're still in holiday mode and therefore, mentally unprepared to go back to work. Time flew by way too quickly.

2. Dread

As reality slowly starts to kick in, anguish follows. Waking up early is hard enough. The thought of sitting behind your desk all day isn't helping either.

3. Anger

Everything about work irks you. The morning commute. The pending emails you have to reply to. The workmate who's talking loudly about his holiday shenanigans.

Can't. It. All. Just. Stop.

4. Bargaining

You're already thinking about filing your next leave. If you can finish all the urgent deliverables today, then maybe you can take another day off this week to recuperate. Maybe a massage or mani-pedi will help too...

5. Sadness

You start remembering how happy you were a couple of days ago and it instantly makes you feel the opposite. Oh, if only you could turn back time!

6. Bahala Na!

You eventually realize that the more you put those work responsibilities off, the longer it will take you to finish it. So it's time to dive right in—it can only get better from here.

7. Call for Support

It’s only human for us to want consolation. So when the going gets tough, it's time to lean on to our personal cheerleaders for some comfort.

8. Acceptance

In tough situations, there’s bound to be some good in them too. Keep your head up and count all the blessings you had: quality time with loved ones, a well-deserved breather from a year’s worth of hard work, and more.

So now you're finally settled in. You're officially back in the groove! Life isn’t as bad as you expected it to be. Just remember that you’re one day closer to your next vacation!

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