Four Ways to Adjust to a New Work Schedule

Maybe you're a former telecommuter and following the footsteps of Yahoo!, your employer nixed the work from home policy. Or maybe you have a new job or your hours and assignments have changed from news desk to weekend news desk. Whatever the case, when things get shaken up, you need to roll with the punches and be malleable. Here are three ways to do it... 1. Do a test run. Inspired by a piece we read on CareerBuilder, try doing a dry run including the commute and adjusting to a new schedule. In particular, this could be helpful for stay-at-home moms or retirees returning to the workplace. The piece points out, "Wake up at the time you’ll need to wake up and get ready as if you’re going in to work. This way, your body gets used to the new schedule, so you aren’t struggling on your first day back." In addition, get in that car of yours and drive to the office during rush hour to see how long it'll take you to get there during rush hour. And if you live in a city and need to take mass transit, check out the underground and bus options as well. 2. Ease into it. Accept the fact that your social and personal lives may get shuffled in the beginning especially if your hours are longer or now on a weekend. Try not to take on too much in the beginning and cut yourself some slack. In other words, if you can't make it to that Tuesday night spinning class you always attended no matter what, missing it one week isn't the worst thing in the world. 3. Set priorities. As in sleep, nutrition, the basics. Some things will need to slide and that's okay. Eventually they'll work their way back into your schedule but it's quite refreshing when you think about it to simplify. 4. Ask for help. Seriously. Feeling overwhelmed right away? Reach out to your network. If you have kids, maybe ask family, friends or neighbors to babysit so you can jet to yoga. Especially if you're assimilating back into your own job prior to a leave of absence, you may notice the job hasn't changed but the company has altered its mission or you have new colleagues. Don't be afraid to ask questions and rely on your colleagues and supervisor for answers and feedback.

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Four Ways to Adjust to a New Work Schedule

Vicki Salemi

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Vicki Salemi