Hello happiness seekers. Welcome back to the Happiness Challenge to the new series Back to Work. I'm Claudi Mitura, work psychologist and your guide to science based happiness at work and beyond. Today we are kicking off with our new Back to Work series with a topic that I think is super relevant for all of us returning after holiday finding flow and getting back into that process productive rhythm after holidays because let's be honest, coming back to work after a break can feel clunky. Our brain is still on the beach, our inbox is overflowing and we actually wondering how on earth to get back into the swing of things. Or we perhaps may be feeling that almost we are falling into our working days and like a tide they sweep us away so that within a week we feel exhausted again. But here, here is the good news. There is a real science behind making your return to work not just easier, but most importantly more satisfying and impactful. So to you then. So let's start with understanding why seeing progress at work matters. Research shows that people who have clarity at work of what they need to achieve and also are able to see their progress and impact are not just more productive, they are actually happier. In fact, a Harvard study found that single biggest difference between a bed and a good day at work is whether we feel we've made some progress, no matter how small. So how do we get back into that productives sustainable happy rhythm after time away Here are some three practical tips to help you to find your flow this week. Tip number one Set your focus for the week. This is my favorite practice at work and I know that if I don't do this then the week will pass very quickly and I will feel I haven't move the important things forward. Take 15 minutes on Monday. Yes, 15 minutes to simply set up your three biggest goals for the week. You can ask yourself what are the three things that if completed, would make this week a win? What's most important for my team? My project? My own growth? Think big, think strategic. Think about the three most important aspects. And once you've got those three goals, remember to block time in your calendar for specific actions in relation to that goal. So add some little prompts to your calendar like, okay, starts with 5 minute brainstorm about this particular goal or you know what? I really need to schedule a meeting with so and so to have a curiosity conversation to be able to move this forward. And those nudges help us to get started and they can help us to keep going. So it's important again to understand that our weekly planning is directly related to our productivity because it makes a very long list of obligations, commitments and intentions, turns it into into more organized, manageable way so that those things do not wear on our mental health. But as already mentioned, having that progress, having that clarity, increases our engagement and satisfaction at work. So this week, start your week with realistic planning of how you choose to spend your days and what goals you want to achieve and see how you feel by the end of the week. Tip number two is reflect and celebrate progress the way we starting the week with 50 minutes of key aspects we want to concentrate on. At the end of the week, take another 15 minutes to reflect. Ask yourself what did I accomplish, big or small? What has challenged me? What helped me overcome it? How did I feel during my best moments? Or what were the moments that really mattered to me this week? What made me proud? What made me feel excited? What made me feel energized? Progress is really progress as in whether we're launching a project or simply cleaning our inbox. Let's celebrate all the small wins, let's celebrate all of the important aspects and most importantly, let's pause to think about the positives and reflection. Practice is really becoming more and more valued by organizations, especially when it comes to learning. Because our brain actually needs time to reflect, to consolidate of what we have learned and what we wish to do differently as a result of our progress. So only by having that quick 15 minutes of reflection on the week, we are able to give our brain a chance to actually think differently, do things differently next time. Otherwise we just going slid back into operating on autopilot. And the final third tip is about creating your ambition statement. So looking ahead, set your intentions for the quarter. Rick Carrucci in his research describes three types of ambitions performance ambitions, all about getting great results for you and your team. So in other words, how do you want to help and support others? Growth ambition is about developing new skills and stretching your strengths. So how do you want to develop going forward forward and achievement. Ambition is about unlocking meaningful rewards and recognitions. So what do you want to accomplish? What do you want your impact to be? Write your ambition statement for the upcoming quarter covering all three types of ambition that very much gives you that work, meaning and direction and also allows us to stay in the flow of this is what is important. And that's why now to implement those tips I think we need couple of more bonus ideas here because it is about maintaining that flow. So first of all have regular micro breaks, schedule a couple of two to three minutes quick breaks when you have time to get up, stretch, breathe, draw down some quick wins. This keeps your energy up and reminds you of your progress. And I'm in the process of now reading a fantastic book by Nicole Vignola who is a neuroscientist and she says that the best way to rewire our brain to reduce stress to prevent burnout is to have strategic breaks, very quick few minutes, breaks to breathe, to slow down and reset. And the second one accountability body, that is if some of those processes like reflection at the end of the week, like planning at the beginning of the week, feels a little bit like I never tried it, try it with someone else, pair up with a colleague and check in once a week of how you feeling, how are you finding those practices? Share your three weekly goals and celebrate each other wins. Accountability boosts our motivation and happiness. So why not pair up with someone who also would like to find more flow in their work? Now before we wrap up, a couple of announcements. So first of all if you are up for learning more about the science of happiness specifically at work, you can listen to the Happiness Reset at Work campaign which I have launched back in January 2025 and it very much feature five drivers of happiness at work. Simply go to the to my website thehappinesschallenge.co.uk and under the tab podcast you will see the Happiness Reset at Work. There I will be running a free webinar about the science of Happiness at work on 29th of September at 6pm UK time. So again you can sign up on my website under the courses attend that it will give you more information about the science of happiness at work. And my second announcement is that my book the Alphabet of happiness was number one in the top 100 hot new releases on Amazon UK in applied psychology this is something that is changing daily. So for few days I was top number one. I am still in top hundred. I'm number 29 as of today and I just want to say a massive thank you to all of you because that means that you lovely listeners are pre ordering my book, you are adding it to your wish list and the algorithm is noticing. So I'm very excited. If you want to receive sneaky peeks, exclusive tips and behind the scenes updates in relation to my book, join my Substack newsletter. Just search for the Happiness Challenge on Substack. So let's make this quote your happiest and most impactful yet. I see you the next episode. Bye.