You say goodbye to the sunny beaches and summery breeze. You head back into the neat, air-conditioned office, only to be hit by a bout of stress and anxiety. Why is it so hard to return to work after a nice holiday? This blog goes through what is post-holiday syndrome and shares 4 tips to banish it.
Post-holiday syndrome is a short-term condition many people experience after coming back to work from a holiday, and is often characterised by stress, anxiety, or depression. According to psychologist Dr Melissa Weinberg, this reflects the emotional cost of having just enjoyed a few weeks of fun, and could bring on further financial, physical, and emotional compromise if not managed.
Despite this, Dr Weinberg states that post-holiday blues are actually a sign of good mental health and psychological functioning. Most people hold on to the beliefs that their holiday was pleasant and that they’d rather be on holiday than at work. Yet our brain prefers consistency, and attempts to restore stability when our usual routine is disrupted. This conflict causes an emotional comedown at the end of the vacation when our brain tries to return us to our usual level of functioning, leading us to feel overwhelmed or depressed at having to come back to work.
Having understood what it is, how can we manage the post-holiday syndrome? Here are a few tips to help:
1. Normalise the feeling: Rather than label it as post-holiday depression, we should rather call it a post-holiday normalisation. Recognising that the feeling is normal is the first step towards alleviating negative emotions and picking up your usual routine efficiently back at work.
2. Slow down the emotional dip: We can slow the comedown by temporarily bringing back positive emotions we experienced on holidays, for example through looking at photos or videos we took on vacation, or sharing stories of our trip to others to relive the experience.
3. Get outdoors: Going on holidays often involves a change of scenery or being among nature. By no means does this have to end when the holiday ends. Try to spend some time outdoors rather than staying in your office or at home all day, for example by walking in the park or hiking along the coast. This will replicate the heightened emotions you feel when going on holidays and help you rewind after a stressful week.
4. Book your next holiday: The post-holiday blues is caused by the feeling of emptiness after a long period of anticipation, so why not banish the sadness by building anticipation for another holiday? This will definitely bring back the excitement and positivity!
Feeling down after a holiday is completely normal, and we do not have to feel guilty about a lack of energy when returning to work. Remember that it’s a normal emotional response, and look forward to your next holiday!
