Transforming Post-Holiday Blues into Workplace Motivation

Maintaining team energy and motivation is a crucial challenge for any business leader. But what happens when your team returns from a much-needed vacation, only to face the dreaded post-holiday blues?

We sat down with Natalya Berdikyan, an executive coach who supports entrepreneurs, founders, and their teams, to explore effective strategies for recharging and re-energizing teams after time off.

Understanding and Harnessing Post-Vacation Stress

Berdikyan emphasizes the importance of acknowledging post-vacation stress rather than ignoring it. “It’s important to understand why people have stress in the first place,” she explains. “And it might be after a vacation or a weekend, or they start thinking about work the night before and all of a sudden they feel stressed.

But here’s where Berdikyan’s approach takes an unexpected turn. She advises leaders to view stress as a sign of wisdom and an opportunity for growth. “Stress is not an enemy,” she says. “It’s simply a reaction to what can be, how our reaction can be. And we can definitely manage the reaction.”

As a leader, your role isn’t to eliminate stress—it’s to create an environment where stress becomes a catalyst for growth. Berdikyan advises, “As leaders, it’s important to create that safe environment where people feel safe and open to share what’s happening.” This open communication allows you to better understand and address the stressors affecting your team.

One key strategy Berdikyan recommends is focusing on aligning personal values with company goals. “It’s important to understand what their values are, what is actually important to them, why they’re coming back to their office in the first place,” she explains. “Whatever their personal values are have to be aligned with their company one as well.”

She suggests clear communication of company values and goals, inspiring team members and ensuring alignment to bring them back to their purpose. This approach can help reignite the passion and drive that may have waned during time off.

Practical Strategies for Immediate Impact

When it comes to quick strategies for regaining focus and productivity, Berdikyan offers a simple yet effective technique: controlled breathing. “The fastest way to stay calm and to stay focused is to inhale shortly. Then again, one short one and exhale. So inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth,” she demonstrates. This technique can be used anywhere, anytime, even during meetings, to calm the nervous system and improve focus.

Throughout our conversation, Berdikyan emphasizes the interconnected nature of different types of stress – from spiritual and mental to physical and social. She advises leaders to take a holistic approach to team wellbeing, considering factors like work environment, social dynamics, and individual needs.

“It’s important to understand different forms of stress,” Berdikyan notes. She identifies six influencers or stressors that are sources of energy leaks: spiritual, mental, physical, environmental, emotional, and social stress. Each of these can impact team performance in different ways, and addressing them requires a nuanced approach.

For instance, when discussing mental stress, Berdikyan points out, “It occurs when we multitask, when we stretch ourselves too thin or we have those conflicting demands.” She suggests addressing this by “making it more clear. What are the tasks? What are the KPIs? To have the support system, to communicate more clearly about it, have the support and the training, and really create that clarity for the people, the guidance, the structure, the routine.”

By implementing these strategies, leaders can help their teams not just recover from vacation but return to work with renewed energy and focus. As Berdikyan puts it, understanding and addressing stress is key to preventing burnout, improving engagement, and boosting overall performance.

For entrepreneurs and founders, taking the time to recharge and re-energize your team isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential for long-term success and sustainability. By following Berdikyan’s advice, you can turn the post-vacation slump into a launchpad for innovation and growth, ensuring your team is ready to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.