A smooth start, planning and rituals help you get through your first days on the job.
At the beginning of 2026, Russians spent a record 12 days on the New Year's weekend, and the next one can only have such a long holiday in 2032! During the first working days of the year, Rambler&Co media asked Internet users how they could return to work and continue their daily routine.
23% of respondents admitted that they returned to business calmly and realized that it took time to “get going”. Another 22% felt there was almost no difference between long holidays and regular weekends, and 17% even went to work feeling excited. At the same time, for 22% adaptation still took a few days and 16% felt a sharp contrast and admitted that going back was very difficult.
The main way to gently enter the working rhythm is still structure. Nearly a third (32%) of respondents believe a clear plan and setting priorities will help best, and 30% rely on a light workload and simple tasks in the first days. Rituals that brighten the workday – coffee, going for a walk, going to bed early – are supported by a fifth (20%) of respondents. Another 18% honestly admitted that none of the tools worked and all that remained was to wait out the period.
In fact, starting work after a vacation is often not as fun as we would like. 35% start with a slow dive – sorting mail, chatting and trying to remember those same tasks “after the holiday”. Almost the same number, 34%, were forced to jump right into a busy schedule of meetings and urgent tasks. 17% prefer to start by getting things organized at work, 9% delay starting due to procrastination, and 5% face feelings of panic due to backlog of work.
According to respondents, the ideal form of escape after a long weekend should be as gentle as possible. 26% of the votes were given to options that had a smooth start, no tight deadlines and complete freedom of pace. A short work week is considered optimal by 18%. Another 19% are willing to participate in regularly scheduled missions. The ability to work remotely or flexibly is important to 11% of survey respondents.
The survey was conducted on media resources held by Rambler&Co from January 12 to January 16, 2026 and 2,503 Internet users participated.
