Transitioning from vacation mode to work can be rough. Here are some tips to make it hurt less...

You’ve earned that vacation time off – so why punish yourself on your first day back to work?

Monster.com has some strategies to make that vacation’s-over-back-to-work transition a little easier:

• Before you leave for vacation, make a to-do list for your first day back. You’ll have to think that much less when the day comes.

• Schedule an extra day off at the end if you can. Use that day to think about or catch up on a little work, readjust your sleeping schedule and have a little fun. 

• Consider going in early or late on that first day back. Staggering that first day can make transitioning back into the routine a little easier.

• Don’t slack off that first day back – but keep expectations realistic. Feeling overwhelmed or dropping the ball can ruin a smooth transition.

Joey Reiman, author of “Thinking for a Living,” says if you really dread going back to work after your vacation; consider taking another week off to find a better job.