How to cope psychologically with the return from vacation.
Tips to help you quickly adapt to the routines of the return after the vacations.
Many studies have shown that having the opportunity to disconnect from work for several days on vacation has a beneficial effect on people's mental health and general well-being.
However, we should not overlook the fact that, albeit indirectly, the holiday period can also trigger some psychological complications that are detrimental to us. Complications that, although they do not constitute psychopathologies, do make us feel bad for a few days or even weeks, and even make us less capable of interacting well with the world and with others.
The clearest example of the latter is the post-holiday syndrome.. In this article you will find some tips on how to deal with it and how to cope with the return from vacation and its psychological impact on you.
Why is it normal for us to find it hard to adapt back to the routine after the vacations?
Going from a period of rest and leisure to another in which we have many more responsibilities and tasks to do involves making changes both in our way of behaving and in our way of thinking.
In addition, in many cases this also coincides with a change in the way we think and behave, in many cases this also coincides with a phase of physiological and psychological transition.The following is a very important point: not a few people, upon returning to work, need to readjust their sleep schedule because they have spent many days or weeks going to bed at a very different time from the one that characterizes their working days.
This set of psychological and Biological changes come at the same time in a relatively abrupt manner (literally, from one day to the next) and can destabilize some people emotionally, although not in such an intense way as to cause a mental disorder. This is what happens when there is what we call post-holiday syndrome: the person feels dislocated and disillusioned with his or her present when guided by the parameters and routines that he or she had been using during the vacation..
Thus, this transition between vacation and the return to routine usually involves making different types of readjustments:
- Moving from one set of expectations about day-to-day life to another.
- Moving from one work rhythm to another that includes our work/professional facet.
- Moving from one sleep schedule to another.
- Moving from one stimulus to another (especially if you have traveled to another country).
- Going from a much smaller amount of free time to a much smaller amount of free time.
- Going from a much lower decision capacity over social life to a much lower one (friends can no longer meet as much or are in other cities).
How to face the return from vacation taking care of your emotional well-being?
Each person is different, but beyond the field of psychotherapy there are some general tips on what to do that can help in these cases of return to routine after the vacations. Let's see what they are.
1. Establish a clear sequence of activities according to your priorities.
When you return from vacation, you may be overwhelmed by the feeling that work is suddenly piling up on you. To avoid this, focus first of all on ordering your activities, establishing a very clear chain of tasks.
This way you will be less likely to be paralyzed by stress and less "scared" to think about those activities you have to take care of, because you will not see them as a whole, but your attention will automatically go to the task at hand for the next few minutes or hours, and it is not so intimidating.Because you will not see them as a whole, but your attention will automatically go to the task you have to do for the next few minutes or hours, and this is not so intimidating.
2. Return to your normal sleep rhythms
It is very important that you return to balance your sleep schedule as soon as possible, so that you can go to sleep at a time that allows you to rest long enough. The reason is that sleeping badly for many days in a row will jeopardize your mental health and also your work performance..
Do not leave it for another day; go to bed at the time that should define your new schedule; even if that night you are going to sleep little because you have trouble falling asleep, surely the next day you will no longer have that problem.
3. Keep setting aside time for your hobbies.
Coming back from vacation does not mean devoting all our energies to work and/or household chores. As much as possible, continue to set aside time during the week to do what you feel like doing, so that the transition between the week's activities is smooth.The transition between the vacation and the post-holiday period will not be so abrupt.
Also, you'll be less likely to get frustrated by linking the good times to the vacation alone, and you won't need to keep bringing up those memories over and over again.
4. Use relaxation techniques
Relaxation techniques can help you to do a mental "reset" at key moments when you notice at key moments when you feel that stress is affecting you too much. Dedicate a few minutes and you will notice the difference in a few days, as you practice.
5. Practice exercise
Exercise is a great way to disconnect and leave behind the intrusive thoughts that sometimes arise at work.. Also, if you adopt a rather passive attitude in your free time, it is easier for you to feel bad that you are getting bored much more than on vacation and start thinking about them over and over again.
You can incorporate about two or three sessions of moderate exercise into your week's routines.
Interested in psychological help?
If you are considering a psychology consultation to learn how to better manage your emotions and habits, please contact us.
At PSiCOBAi we attend people of all ages, and we offer personalized attention in person and also online via video call.
(Updated at Apr 15 / 2024)