Maybe it's a little flip of us to wait until mid-August to pass on advice about planning for a break. But while this checklist of ways to ensure a smooth re-entry from a vacation was published back in June, lots of the advice applies year-round.

Writing for CBC radio, Kira Vermond points out that people getting back from vacation have reported symptoms as varied as "insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of despair and even irregular heartbeat." Hardly refreshing.

To make your return to the regular world as fun and calm as possible, Vermond recommends coming back a day or two early to deal with mundane but essential tasks like laundry.

She also recommends being tactical on your first day back in the office. Arrive an hour early, "grab a coffee, sit down, plan your day." Then get one easy thing done to help get yourself back in the groove.

This sounds like good advice for jumpstarting just about any Monday.

[Image: Jason Horne/flickr]