All changes involve a risk of stress, which is the body’s reaction to changes. To avoid negative reactions, it can be good to let the change take time, according to Dan Hasson.

– Maybe you can change your sleeping times already now, if you have very late routines during the holidays, he says.

Returning to work in the middle of the work week and only working a few days the first week can be a good way to reach the desirable soft start that Dan Hasson recommends.

– Then you should be extra forgiving of yourself the first few days. It can take a while to get the brain going again.

It is certainly the second autumn we encounter during the pandemic, but the return to work may still look different this year compared to what we are used to.

A miracle?

Now that the vaccinations have started, it may be relevant for more people to return to their physical workplace for the first time in several months. Whether you are going to connect in the home office or go to a more traditional workplace, there is a thought experiment that Dan Hasson recommends.

– It’s about setting goals and thinking: How do I want it when I return? Then it is good to use the “miracle question”, an experiment in which you imagine that a miracle occurs that makes everything become exactly as you want it at work. What would the workplace look like then?

Maybe it’s nicer colleagues and better coffee you are striving for. Once the target image has been visualized, it is time to ask the next question.

– How can you make your workplace more like that?

In addition to striving for a goal image, there are two more thought exercises to take. One is to try to influence how you relate to things.

– Try to see things from a different, more positive or appropriate perspective. It may not be a disaster that you can not sit at the desk you are used to, says Hasson.

“Try to enjoy”

The second focus area is a classic in the subject: recovery.

– It applies to sleep, of course, but there are powerful methods to use through, for example, breathing. After just three, four deep breaths, the body begins to unwind. Try to build such a recovery into everyday life.

Research indicates that the beneficial effects of the holiday rarely last longer than a few weeks. But that does not mean that it is unprofitable to try to keep the summer feelings.

– Grill, meet friends, move. Try to enjoy the long bright evenings anyway, says Dan Hasson.