Did you hear?… It can take a day or two to return to normal productivity after a vacation

It’s your first day back at work after having most — if not all — of the last 11 days off, and you’re feeling a little, well, hung-over. No, we don’t mean the alcohol-induced variety, but the post-vacation variety. You’re having trouble digging in, you can’t quite remember the details of that pre-holiday report you were working on, you are in no mood for meetings or to sift through memos and emails, and you feel as if a fog has settled into your head. You aren’t alone. A survey of executives found it takes about a day and half for most people to return to normal productivity and sharpness after a vacation. Some tips: Get to bed early the first couple of days back, and get to work a bit earlier. Make a detailed schedule with priorities scheduled for your first couple of days. Limit personal calls, and minimize the “water cooler” tale-swapping chit-chat for lunch of after-work get-togethers.