Yes, it's September again and for me this is always more of a new year than is January. Because I have school-age children and run my own business, I choose to take the whole of August away from work, which has its benefits and also drawbacks. The benefits are obvious and I've probably written about some of the drawbacks already (lack of structure principally, and of course, the financial implications).

But getting back to work, whether you've been away for a fortnight or six weeks, presents some challenges. This is not just limited to holidays; an acquaintance of mine, who recently had a heart-attack scare and was on sick leave for a number of weeks, said "the more I sit on my bottom, the more I want to sit on my bottom." I think we can all understand that inertia.

An idea I have shamelessly stolen from a coaching friend of mine (thank you Jill – this is so helpful) is that of scheduling into the working day some summer reminders. How about putting into our packed lunches some more exotic food than just the standard cheese sarnie? Could we take a purposeful ten minute break in the sunshine (for as long as we have sunshine)? If we look at what we have really enjoyed about our summer (and wasn't it a great one!) and intentionally create some moments in our day to recreate that feeling, then the post-holiday blues will not get a chance to hit so hard.

With that in mind I am going to take my book outside into the arbour and drink my coffee in the sunshine. Just for a few minutes. But I reckon it will give me energy to face the 7,583 emails that have logged up in my absence.

Happy New Year Everyone!