How To Plan Ahead So You Avoid The Burnout After Memorial Day Weekend

There are few things more glorious in this world than a three-day weekend.

Except, of course, for that stupid part where you actually have to *cringe* go back to work.

You drag your feet into the office as you firmly clutch a giant thermos of coffee.

Your skin glows from the days you just spent at the beach over Memorial Day Weekend, but the bags under your eyes are crying out for more sleep.

We all know how awful it feels to come back to work after a long weekend, but it doesn't mean we have to let those crappy vibes totally consume us.

Here are a few ways you can plan ahead to beat the burnout after you return from Memorial Day Weekend.

Get your sleep schedule in order ahead of time.

Your bedtime may be a rigid 10:30 p.m. on normal weeknights, but of course you're going to stay up later over the long weekend so you can truly make the most of your time off.

But, fast forward to Monday night, and you'll find yourself tossing and turning, constantly calculating how much sleep you'll get if you fall asleep now (or an hour from now... or two hours from now...).

If your MDW plans can allow for it, try to ease your way back into your typical sleep schedule over the course of the weekend.

For example, if you don't go to bed until 2 a.m. on Friday night, try for 1 a.m. on Saturday night, 12 a.m. the next night, and finally, 11 p.m. the night before you have to go back to work.

Seriously, your body will thank you.

Make a solid to-do list before you go back to work.

Regardless of how much you plan ahead, your mind is definitely going to feel super cloudy for most of that first day back at the office.

To combat that fogginess, a to-do list will be your ultimate savior. It will set your day in motion, and you won't be scrambling to figure out what your priorities are when you can barely even think about what you want for lunch that day.

Don't start your day by answering emails.

This trap is too easy to fall into, especially when you're coming back from a long weekend.

Answering emails first thing in the morning may feel like the right way to ease back into the workflow, but it's more likely that you're just setting yourself up for failure.

It's actually better for you to start your day with more complex work, and leave more simple tasks like email management for later in the day, when your energy will likely be at its absolute lowest point.

Reward yourself by going out for a walk during your lunch break.

After spending all weekend outside enjoying the beautiful weather, the last place you'll want to be is in a cubicle under bleak, fluorescent lights.

Since you kind of have to be there (adulting is the worst, I know), seize any opportunity you can to take a stroll outside. A little vitamin D will do you good, and it will give you something to look forward to in the first half of your day.

Go forth, my child, and conquer those back-to-work blues like a f*cking boss.