5 tips to overcome post-holiday syndrome

The post-vacation syndrome is one of those forms of discomfort that many people come to assume as something normal, by dint of experiencing it over and over again after the holidays.

But the truth is that there are several things we can do to prevent or mitigate this psychological alteration; Both workers and companies have room for maneuver to apply strategies that help achieve this. Let's see a summary of this type of measures before the post-holiday syndrome and all that it entails.

• Related article: "Keys to rest psychologically during the summer holidays"

What is post-vacation syndrome?

What is currently known as post-vacation syndrome is actually an anxious-depressive picture that occurs in some people in the first days after returning from vacation, especially if these have been long and have involved a radical change in routine (for example, when going on a trip to another country). It is not described in the most widely used diagnostic manuals in the field of mental health, and it is not considered a psychopathology by itself; it may be either a less intense form of malaise than officially recognized mental disorders, or either a variant of one of these within the categories of anxiety disorders or mood disorders cheer up.

Now, one of the characteristics of post-vacation syndrome is that lasts relatively little, and in most cases it disappears in a matter of a couple of weeks or a little less time.

The main symptoms linked to post-vacation syndrome are:

• Tendency to procrastinate
• General feeling of discouragement.
• Problems managing work time.
• Relative lack of interest in socializing beyond what is strictly required.
• Greater predisposition to irritability.
• Easier to suffer work stress.
• Tendency to remember vacations over and over again from a feeling of nostalgia (it can interfere with work).

On the other hand, post-vacation syndrome not to be confused with seasonal affective disorder. The latter is triggered by the transition from one season to another (with consequent changes in temperature and other environmental aspects), while The first is caused by the contrast between the stimuli and routines we are exposed to on vacation, on the one hand, and in the professional context on the other. other.

• You may be interested in: "The 10 keys to happier workers"

How to overcome the post-vacation syndrome?

These are the keys to deal with post-vacation syndrome and prevent it from being a problem.

1. Promote a period of readaptation to routine

It is recommended that workers do not start work a few hours after returning from a trip; The best thing is to use the last couple of days off to get used to the elements of everyday life again, making them serve as a "mattress" between one way and another of living the days.

• Related article: "Psychology of work and organizations: a profession with a future"

2. Do not completely interrupt the pursuit of hobbies maintained during the holidays

Returning to work should allow you to have moments of the week to continue devoting minutes or hours to those hobbies that we associate with vacations: going for a walk in nature, writing, playing an instrument, etc Thus, there is not so much contrast between the vacation period and the work performance period.

3. Apply sleep hygiene strategies

Sleeping well or not being able to sleep well often makes a difference; If we don't dedicate all the hours our body needs to sleep due to jet lag or a schedule imbalance when we return to work, we will not only feel bad; In addition, we will have more problems to face our tasks due to the decrease in our ability to concentrate and to remember things. Thus, you have to have a very clear and consistent sleep schedule during all days of the week.

• You may be interested in: "10 basic principles for good sleep hygiene"

4. take frequent breaks

Especially when we return from the holidays, it is easy for us to feel that work is overwhelming us. Given this, it is best to take short but frequent breaks, to recharge energy and restore our attention span. If you don't do it like this and decide to dedicate several hours straight to work without interruption, in practice you you will take rest spontaneously and almost without realizing it, but in a less efficient and organized.

5. Set very short-term goals

To counteract the lack of energy, self-motivation strategies must be adopted, such as breaking down the objectives of the day into several very short-term sub-objectives. In this way it is easier for us to feel attracted by the possibility of “close” packages of obligations in a matter of minutes.

• Related article: "Time management: 13 tips to make the most of the hours of the day"

Are you interested in having Business Psychology services?

PYM Business offers a psychology and well-being service for companies and employees who may present any type of psychological alteration or problem of any other nature.

The PYM Business team of professionals is made up of health psychologists, organizational psychologists, coaches, Mindfulness experts and also Team Building experts.

With this team you will receive fully individualized counseling and psychological treatment specialized in dealing with cases post-vacation syndrome, anxiety, stress, lack of leadership at work and all kinds of other psychological disorders.

In this page you will find more information about PYM Business.