Break, Breathe, Return
A personal note on coming back better.
Reset isn’t a luxury; it’s a skill.
Not the spa version. The empty-head, choose-again kind.
Two weeks off. Last week I even wrote the newsletter from holiday mode—bare feet, slow brain, still okay. Today is different. It’s Sunday, the laptop is open, tomorrow’s Monday feels like a cliff edge, and I’m “researching.” Which, if we’re honest, is me circling—new tabs, smarter tabs, one more quote that will finally make the piece write itself.
I wanted to keep momentum rolling through the break. I didn’t. Or maybe I couldn’t. Either way, the pause did a small, impolite thing: it asked what I actually want to bring back. Some to-dos survived the cut. Others looked important until I had a little distance—then they didn’t.
So I’m choosing a Reset. Not a grand reinvention, just a cleaner re-entry: start with a lighter head, carry forward the few things that matter, and let the rest expire. The goal isn’t to catch up; it’s to begin again on purpose.
Why resets work (brief receipts)
A reset isn’t laziness; it’s timing. After temporal landmarks—new week, new month, post-vacation—we naturally feel more up for “aspirational” choices. That’s the Fresh Start Effect: people go to the gym more and tackle goals just after a clean page. Use that tailwind on re-entry day; don’t waste it on catching up in circles. INFORMS Pubs Online
But vacation glow fades unless we protect detachment when we’re back. Meta-analytic work on recovery shows that psychological detachment from work (plus relaxation, mastery, control) links to higher energy and well-being; without it, the lift decays quickly. Translation: bring one or two detachment cues into your normal week (walk commute, no-notifications block) so the reset sticks. PMC
Keep it simple: subtract first (what not to bring back), then choose one micro-plan you’ll actually do tomorrow.
A grin from the 80s: Electroduendes
Spain, 80s. La Bola de Cristal. The Electroduendes look straight at the camera and drop this grenade:
“Desenseñar a desaprender cómo se deshacen las cosas.”
Roughly: un-teach to unlearn how things get undone.
Why it makes me smile: it licenses mischief. Reset isn’t sterile productivity; it’s playful subtraction. It says you’re allowed to break your own training, to strip a habit to the studs and only rebuild what you’d choose again today.
I like the tone—irreverent, almost childlike. It lowers the stakes. Instead of “return like a machine,” it whispers: try again, lighter. That’s the energy I want for re-entry.
My working test this week: If I had to learn this from scratch, would I pick it again?
Apps, metrics, meetings—each one. Some pass. Some don’t. The clip is a wink, but the move is serious: un-teach yourself just enough to see with fresh eyes, then choose what’s worth bringing back.
Why a reset is good (no fuss)
Sometimes the reset chooses you—no internet, wrong place, routine scrambled. Fine. Call it a reset and move on.
Fresh-start energy. A small motivational tailwind after a chapter change.
Well-being lift. The break helped; treat the first days back as a glide path, not a sprint.
Detachment is a skill. Simple levers—detachment, relaxation, mastery, control—make coming back feel lighter.
Incubation happens “off.” Walks, chores, showers—ideas were simmering while you were away.
Back tomorrow (no drama)
Back on Sunday. No epic comeback; the reset already did its job—distance, a bit of clarity, some fresh energy. Good luck to everyone starting Monday with me; if you’re still away, enjoy it fully.
One tiny idea for tonight: if a half-done task keeps buzzing, write the very next step on a paper. Naming it often quiets the loop so you can sleep.
And a stance for re-entry: try beginner’s mind—curious, light, not proving anything. Start small. Momentum will meet you once you’ve started.
Let’s trade notes
What are you not bringing back this time?
What tiny move tells you you’re “back” (even before the inbox is empty)?Why a reset is good (no fuss)