5 routines to prevent the appearance of post-holiday syndrome

Post-vacation syndrome is a phenomenon that many people suffer from when they return to work, especially after the summer holidays (the vacation period that is usually longer).

However, no one is doomed to experience that discomfort no matter what, since there are some strategies and routines to prevent the appearance of this. Let's see what they are.

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What is post-holiday syndrome?

What is known as post-holiday syndrome is a set of Forms of discomfort that arise when going from the vacation period to returning to the routine at work. It is a series of alterations that occur as a consequence of a lack of readaptation to that new context. characterized by tasks other than those of the vacation break and an increase in the obligations and expectations placed on oneself. And it is that for some people, changing their mentality and actions on a day-to-day basis is especially hard, especially when these are “imposed” from outside due to the need to meet productivity objectives, with contractual requirements, etc. It is not necessary to be an employed person to suffer post-holiday syndrome, they can also the self-employed suffer, since they still need to achieve certain professional goals in the short term and medium term.

Some of the most common experiences associated with post-holiday syndrome are fatigue, high stress levels, concentration problems, persistent sleep (you often yawn even in the middle of the day), general physical discomfort, a feeling of disorientation, and changes in appetite. However, all these phenomena do not always occur at the same time.

On the other hand, it must be taken into account that post-holiday syndrome is not a mental disorder and does not seem to be described as such in diagnostic manuals, so there are several ways to define it and to determine what its characteristics and effects. However, as a broad and flexible concept, it is often useful to refer to a relatively common problem that in the most extreme cases is a reason to go to the psychologist.

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What routines to apply to prevent post-holiday syndrome?

These are the most useful strategies to reduce the chances of post-holiday stress.

1. reset schedules

It is very important to make our rest schedules during the last stage of the vacation practically the same as those we will adopt when we return to work. In this way we will not only avoid that feeling of fatigue or even sleep that insomnia or jet lag generates, but also In addition, we will have more energy at the times of the day when we really need to get fully involved in our activities. obligations. What it's about is re-calibrate our biological clock and, above all, to make sure that our body begins to secrete high amounts of melatonin when we are about to go to sleep.

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2. Do not make the vacation plan until the last day off

It is recommended that there be a brief period of readjustment to the routine before we really have to face the obligations of the working day. This means that, for example, if you have gone on a trip to another country, you return to the city where you live a couple of days before start going to the office, to get used to that context again and to the stimuli to which your home and your municipality.

3. Learn some basic relaxation exercises

There are very simple relaxation techniques that you can learn in a matter of minutes and that do not require much practice. If you want extra help, there are some meditation or mindfulness apps that incorporate recorded instructions and resources to relax quickly, such as white noise, sounds recorded in natural settings, etc.

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4. Adapt your leisure activities to your new schedule

In the same way that we must incorporate some dynamics of the work routine into the final stage of the vacation, it is also important that we give continuity to our hobbies and leisure routines during the holidays during those initial days back at work. For example, if during the holiday break you have started to paint or do some artistic activity, make sure in advance that you will be able to reconcile that hobby with your work obligations, including those free time breaks in your schedule.

5. Eat well

Since you will need to face again several added obligations that you did not count on during the holidays, it is important that you do not neglect what you eat. Make sure you follow a diet that provides you with all the vitamins and macronutrients that your body requires, because if not, your brain will be one of the main structures of the organism that will suffer.

• Related article: "Psychology and Nutrition: the importance of emotional eating"

Are you looking for professional psychological support?

If you are going through difficult times and are looking for psychological assistance services, contact me.

My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral intervention model and I attend face-to-face in Madrid and online by video call, either serving adults, adolescents or Business.