It isn’t just tough for kids to return to school after Christmas break. It can be tough for adults to return to work after the holidays, too. And believe me, yours truly isn’t immune to the post-holiday/return to work hangover.

A look at the message I scribbled on my office white board. I tried to allow my employees to ease back into things.

In the past, I have managed to take a continuous two-week holiday break from work. That first day back in the office can be brutal, but from my experience the bark is usually worse than the bite. You see, true gloom arrives the evening before. That is when the anxiety hits and the mental to-do list starts to populate.

However, the return-to-work doldrums didn’t attack me as hard this time. That’s because I handled my holiday PTO a little different this season. Because of the way the holidays fell this year, I took the entire week of Christmas off (Dec. 22 – Dec. 26). I then returned to the office at the beginning of the next week (Dec. 29 – Dec. 31) and then enjoyed a four-day weekend before reporting to the office on Monday, Jan. 5.

Working a few days in the middle of the holiday schedule allowed me to stay on top of things and not lose total sight of what a day in the office entails. It also gave me an even greater appreciation for the remaining time off I got to enjoy after leaving the office on New Year’s Eve. I framed it as a bonus “Thanksgiving weekend” and enjoyed it to the fullest.

But to be honest, even with the time off approach I took this holiday season, there is still always some sadness that comes with returning to work at the beginning of the year. If I can feel it, I know my employees feel it as well. Taking a page out of my old boss’ playbook, I let my team know yesterday that they were under no expectation to move mountains or solve all the problems of higher ed. Instead, I just told them to take a breath and ease back into things. That grace, which I appreciated immensely from my old boss, can go a long way.

Here’s to a successful 2026 for all of us who work for a living. For those who were lucky enough to take time off this holiday season, I sure hope your transition back to the office is going smoothly. Don’t Blink.