How to Focus at work The Week before PTO

If you are anything like me, the weeks, days leading up to a vacation, or PTO can be so exciting that it can be hard to stay focused at work, when all we really want to do is get away. Although it is exciting, it can sometimes cause you to be distracted at work and cause you to not give your full attention to your daily tasks. You know what you’re supposed to do, but it’s easier said than done. After all, there is no way you can stay motivated at work when you’re completely burned out and all you can think of is that wonderful next week’s vacation. With that said, here are a few tips on how you can stay focused during the days leading up to your break.

  1. Attack Your To-Do List Write down a list of tasks that you will need to accomplish each day and keep it by the side of your bed. Doing this will increase your motivation to cross all items off your list before you leave for the day.

    Label your to-do list with As, Bs, and Cs, according to their deadlines or importance. The tasks labeled with an A are what must get done before you leave on vacation. The Bs are what you hope to accomplish beforehand. The C tasks are things that can wait until you return. You may even want to go a step further and create an outline for your colleague(s) to reference the projects that may need assistance while you are on vacation. Be sure to give them advance notice of when you’ll be out of the office and delegate who should handle the different parts of the projects.

  2. Take Mini-Breaks If you feel your motivation slipping away, then take a moment to step away from your work, and go on a stroll. Perhaps out on your stroll, you’ll find some inspiration to step up your game. Getting up and moving is proven to help get the juices flowing.

    If treading around your office isn’t your thing, swipe a glass of water, have a healthy snack, or have some time to scope social media or your game apps on your phone. A tiny break should get you in the mood to do a little work.

  3. Block Out Time On your last day in the office, block out the last two hours of your workday to focus on closing out any loose ends or addressing any unexpected emergencies. Similarly, block out the first two hours on the day you return to work to address your top priorities and take care of any urgent tasks.

I know it's tough, but stay focused on the tasks at hand. Your time for rest and relaxation is right around the corner. Be sure to take some time to fully unplug and enjoy your time away.

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