Well, it’s been some time. A few weeks away. Out-of-office on. Days defined by swims, walks, sweet moments and the occasional worry about whether there was enough ice in the freezer. Coming back from annual leave in the summer is its own little emotional arc. We go straight from sand to inboxes. From mornings with no alarms to days full of meetings. From splashing around to coding. And if we're not careful, the whole thing can feel like a nosedive.

So, I’ve started giving myself a soft landing. A few reminders. A few self-guided rules. Nothing too rigid, just enough to help me arrive, not crash, back into work. I’m reminded here of how the folks at 37signals approach things - calm by default, thoughtful in how they write, code, and build. That same mindset fits just as well in my world, whether I’m working through satellite imagery, untangling a messy GIS workflow, or trying to steer business development in the right direction. Work shouldn’t feel like a whiplash.

Here’s what I’m telling myself this time around:

1. Don’t try to do five days’ worth of work on Day 1 ⏳
I'm not catching up. I'm continuing. People survived without you replying instantly for a week - they still can.

2. Choose calm over speed 🧘🏼‍♂️
It’s tempting to sprint. But most of what matters at work isn’t about how fast I get through tasks - it’s how clearly I think through them. Calm is a competitive advantage.

3. Leave space between meetings again 📅
Even if the calendar is a jigsaw puzzle, the white space is what makes it breathable. I want more thinking time, more coffee walks, more little mental buffers.

4. Remember the 8/8/8 rule 🕗🛌🍽️
Jason Fried and DHH wrote about this beautifully: 8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for everything else. When I drift from this, it shows. Not everything needs to be squeezed into the “work” third.

5. Keep something from holiday mode 🏖️🌿
A 10-minute walk before work. Eating outside. Reading instead of scrolling. Something that reminds you the days are still long, the weather is still good, and I'm allowed to feel light even while getting things done.