Even though tomorrow is the official holiday, today feels different. Some offices are closing early. Many employees took the day off. Schedules are modified in cities where the festivities begin this evening.
When thinking about workflow and morale, we sometimes forget to take the prelude and debrief into account. Today isn’t going to be the most productive, nor is Monday following the holiday weekend. The same is true for all vacations and all the time-off observances throughout the year.
Instead of having unmet expectations for what can be accomplished on those days, prepare for the lulls by noting the “day before” and “day after” on your calendar whenever you are away — whether for a conference, PTO, or holiday. Maybe you’ll surprise yourself and crank out a bunch of work in preparation, or return so energized that you’ll be a dynamo then, but better to have a grace period for your brainpower to be in lower gear.
