When you come back to work after a long vacation, the holidays, or a parental leave, you’re going to be starting down a ton of notifications. Yikes.
We get it – it can be really overwhelming.
But if there’s one trick we can tell you upfront: Don’t work through them all at once. Instead, create a plan to ease back into the swing of things without getting behind (or getting super stressed).
That’s where we come in to help!
Watch the video below, where we show you step-by-step how to work through a backlog of notifications – helping you get back on track in no time.
Can’t watch now? No problem! Here’s a breakdown of all the steps.
First thing’s first, you’ll want to turn off your out-of-office notifications and automatic replies. You might also consider setting up a new automatic reply letting everyone know that you’re back, but it may take a few more business days to respond to new or old messages. In other words: Set expectations! That way, everything doesn’t feel like the most urgent request – you’re giving yourself more breathing room and asking others to do the same.
Pro tip: The next time you’re prepping your biz for an extended break, lie about the day you’re coming back. Get a head start a few days earlier, so you don’t feel the urge to respond to people ASAP – because they’ll still think your OOO!
Next, browse your inbox for anything that seems urgent or any outstanding projects you need to address. Everything else? File to a category or folder labeled ‘Respond Later.’ If you come across emails you know you don’t need to respond to, simply archive or delete them.
If there's something that requires a lot of attention or is connected to an upcoming project, don't let it derail you. File it properly and maybe even create a task to give an appropriate update later. If you need to, you can also reply with an estimated time frame you’ll get back to them.
We know – tackling your inbox can seem like one of the most daunting tasks when you get back from a break. Our advice? Don’t waste time on this one – just rip it off like a band-aid! Make the time, sit down, and just do it.
Pro tip: Use the ClickUp Chrome extension to schedule tasks and/or reminders in your calendar. That way, you’re not ignoring emails you need to respond to – you just don't feel the pressure to tackle it right then and there.
Now, it's time to focus on any projects or tasks that take priority. If you have a project management tool set up, you're already ahead of the curve.
Check your notifications to see if anything is outstanding that you can easily tackle within a few minutes. We recommend setting a timer to do a quick sweep of tasks – maybe 15 to 30 minutes – so you can see what’s going on and what needs your focus and attention.
However, don’t start digging into any projects just yet; simply get up to speed so you can prioritize. Focus on clearing notifications, answering questions, and moving things down the pipeline further. After that, you can make a plan for digging into bigger projects once the small details are taken care of. Be realistic, and give yourself space.
If you don’t have a project management system, you can pull out a good old pen and paper and list out the projects that need your attention in the coming days or weeks. That said, we highly recommend getting on board with a project management system because it will change your life. We even have a free ClickUp 101 Guide to get you started – it’s our go-to PM tool for all of our clients and even our own business!
Last but not least, check in with your clients and team members. Whatever tool you use for communication, go through your notifications and respond to what you can. Again, we recommend setting a timer for 15 to 30 minutes and doing a quick sweep of things.
If something needs a more in-depth response, follow the same process as you did for important emails. Reply with an expectation of when you'll get back them now that you're back in the office!
Just like your project notifications, set up tasks and reminders in your calendar, so you don’t forget about them. Again, this is why a project management tool is so essential — so everyone knows what they're working on and what takes priority!
If you had inquiries or discovery calls scheduled while you were out, you can also spend 15 to 30 minutes going through those emails or inquiry forms. If something requires a response, you can do it now — or set a time to respond to more in-depth emails later.
If you had an inquiry go unanswered for a while, you can reply and let them know you were out of the office and give them a clearer expectation on availability. This is where a CRM really shines because you can virtually onboard new clients automatically – even while you're OOO!
P.S.: Don't feel pressured to schedule all the calls the first week you're back. Nobody wants to return and immediately burn out. People can wait, and boundaries are everything.
Phew! You did it! You went through all the parts of your business that are probably exploding with notifications post-vacation or leave. It feels good, right?
Of course, you may have other areas of your business that have a lot of notifications, like Instagram messages. All you have to do is repeat the same process — setting a timer for 15 to 30 minutes — and go through notifications and categorize them as what can be archived, what needs a response later, and what you can address now.
Hopefully, after these steps, you're feeling better about all your different systems and notifications. If you want to dig a bit deeper and make sure your notifications don't get out of control while you're in the office, we have a free Inbox Zero training that you can check out to become a pro at managing emails!
Don’t forget: We also have tons of other videos on our YouTube channel where we walk through all things business organization, setting up CRMs and PM tools, and so much more. Like and subscribe, so you don’t miss out!
