Post-Holiday Syndrome

Source: roman raizen on Unsplash 

Are you suffering from Post Holiday Syndrome?

If you’ve just got back from holidays and can’t settle into work again, you’re probably suffering from a case of the holiday blues. If it goes on for a few days, you may even have Post Holiday Syndrome.

Psychologists at the University of Granada in Spain have researched this condition, which they describe as a general feeling of discomfort on having to get back to work, with sufferers experiencing symptoms like tiredness, lack of appetite, muscle ache and anxiety.

But never fear — there are ways to get back into a routine and boost your spirits after your break.

Don't go straight back to work

It’s difficult to go from relaxing days by the pool straight into full-on meeting mode. Researchers at the University of Granada suggest building in a period of ‘re-adaptation' between holiday and work .

It is advice that’s shared by John Deely, an occupational psychologist with human resource experts Pinpoint.

“It's generally not a good idea to travel home from your holiday the day before you're due back in work. Try to organise a buffer day.”

Work out what you have to do

No doubt you'll have an inbox crammed full of emails and have dozens of voicemails to return.

But don’t get overwhelmed by the work that’s built up in your absence. If you don’t manage it properly, you will run the risk of undoing all the relaxing effects of your holiday.

“I’d recommend spending half an hour planning out what you have to do before actually getting back into your work,” says Pinpoint’s John Deely.

And don't be shy about letting people know that you’re just back from a break and that you will respond to them in due course, in an organised fashion.

Keep up your exercise habit

Life coach Jackie Fitzpatrick says we should reflect on what we enjoyed about our holidays .

“One thing that often crops up is that we tend to go for lots of walks and we exercise more when we’re away.

“It’s important to incorporate that into our daily life when we get back. Exercise is important because of the endorphins it gives off, so make time for it.”

Have some ‘me time'

We look after ourselves better when we're on holidays— whether it's taking time to eat properly or to read a book we’ve had lined up for ages.

“On holidays, we usually sit down and eat food during the day,” says Jackie.

“People can keep this going when they’re back at work — take a lunch break away from your desk. The company has survived without you for two weeks so it can survive without you during your lunch hour.”

Book your next break

Having another holiday to look forward to can ease the effects of Post Holiday Syndrome.

“If you know that you’re going away in a few weeks’ time it can help keep you motivated,” says John Deely.

Recharge your batteries by switching off from work

One reason why people don’t feel like they’ve had a decent break is that they haven’t actually taken a break!

Think back to your holiday did you check your emails every few hours and find it hard to turn off your mobile phone?

“Companies give people BlackBerries and then their employees feel obliged to keep them on while they’re on holidays,” says Deely.

“There has to be a work-life balance and holidays should be ‘down time’ to relax and unwind,” he adds.

Change your holiday pattern

Researchers advise taking a few shorter holidays rather than a single long one, as this will ease the re-adjustment to work life.

Ideally, you should avoid booking three to four weeks off work in one go.

Instead, it is recommended that you book a couple of separate holidays and spread out breaks during the year.

Cut back on your TV viewing

You've survived for a couple of weeks without the soaps or sport on the box. No doubt you've been more sociable and re-acquainted yourself with the joys of conversation!

Monitor your intake of TV now that you're home again and try to become more like continental Europeans — go out in the evening and talk to friends or neighbours.

Re-evaluate your priorities

Some people like to veg out while on holidays but others take time to figure out what they’re doing in life and what makes them happy. If you’re one of the latter, getting back from a break may bring all these issues into focus.

“If you're coming back to something you really love, you won't have the holiday blues,” says Jackie Fitzpatrick.

“However, if you have these negative feelings for a few days, then you should pay attention to them. Often they are a prompt for change in your life.”

Keep the holiday groove going

Recognise that you’re feeling a little low after your holiday and see if you can bring back a little of the magic.

There are so many cuisines now available in Ireland that you can recreate the food— try a tapas bar, a Greek restaurant or even go for an American burger and fries night out.

Why not even Salsa the night away or see a foreign language film that reminds you of your hols!

Source: independent.ie

Vocabulary:

1. to settle into work - establecerse/adaptarse
• After a long vacation, it took me a few days to settle into work again.
2. the holiday blues (the feeling of depression post hols) - la depresión post vacaciones
• Many people experience the holiday blues when they return to their daily routines.
3. to go on - continuar, seguir
• Despite the challenges, we must go on and complete the project.
4. a lack of stg - una falta de algo
• There was a lack of communication that led to misunderstandings.
5. to get back into a routine - volver a la rutina
• It’s always hard to get back into a routine after a long break.
6. to boost - mejorar, aumentar
• We need to boost our marketing efforts to reach more customers.
7. spirit (n) ≃ mood - ánimo
• Her positive spirit lifted everyone's mood at the office.
8. full-on - very great or to the greatest degree
• The meeting was full-on, lasting for four hours with no breaks.
9. a researcher - un investigador
• The researcher presented his findings at the international conference.
10. to be due back in work - se le esperan al trabajo
• John is due back in work next Monday after his extended leave.
11. a buffer day - a day between returning from holidays and going back to work
• I always schedule a buffer day to unpack and relax before returning to work.
12. to work out - solucionar algo
• We need to work out a solution to this problem quickly.
13. crammed full - atiborrado / to cram - apiñar
• The suitcase was crammed full of clothes for the trip.
14. overwhelmed (adj) (the feeling when stg is too much to cope with) - apabullar, abrumar
• She felt overwhelmed by the amount of work on her desk.
15. to build up - aumentar
• Over time, the pressure began to build up and affect his health.
16. in due course - en el momento debido
• We will review your application in due course.
17. to keep up - seguir, mantener el ritmo
• It’s hard to keep up with all the new technology these days.
18. to crop up (come up) - suceder, surgir
• Unexpected issues can crop up at any time.
19. to tend to - tender, soler
• She tends to arrive early to meetings.
20. to give off - despedir, emitir
• The flowers give off a pleasant fragrance.
21. to line up - planear
• We have several activities lined up for the weekend.
22. to keep stg going - mantener el ritmo
• We need to keep the momentum going to meet our goals.
23. to look forward to stg - (algo planeado) desear, esperar con ilusión, tener ganas de algo
• I look forward to our annual family reunion every summer.
24. to switch off (from work) - desconectar
• It’s important to switch off from work to avoid burnout.
25. to unwind - relajarse
• A hot bath is the perfect way to unwind after a long day.
26. rather than (instead of) - en lugar de, más que
• I prefer to read a book rather than watch TV before bed.
27. to ease - aliviar, aligerar
• A short walk can ease the stress of a busy day.
28. in one go - de un tirón
• She finished the entire book in one go.
29. instead - en su lugar
• He didn’t go out; instead, he stayed home and watched a movie.
30. to spread out - extender
• We decided to spread out the payments over several months.
31. to cut back on stg - reducir algo
• We need to cut back on expenses to save money.
32. a soap / a soap opera - un telenovela / un culebrón
• She watches her favorite soap opera every evening.
33. the box (inf) - la tele
• Let’s watch the game on the box tonight.
34. to figure out - resolver, entender
• It took me a while to figure out how to use the new software.
35. to veg out (inf) - vegetar, relajarse
• Sometimes I just need to veg out on the couch after a hectic week.
36. a prompt - un recordatorio, un aviso                                                                                                                                              The software provides prompts to help you complete the tasks.

What do you do to make the return to work easier? Do you like any of the above advice?

More Post-Holiday Blues.

Related tweet:

BBC News - Back to work: 10 worst things about post-holiday blues http://t.co/Gx1zyTZUyR

— English in Madrid (@madteacher72) September 2, 2013