Unmotivated, stressed and in a bad mood: approximately two thirds of all employees are familiar with these feelings on their first few days back at work after their holidays. This is known as "post-holiday syndrome", in other words, low performance and mood. How can you overcome negative feelings after a vacation and get back into your daily routine in a positive mood?
When their well-deserved break comes to an end and life is breathed back into the workplace, many people suffer from post-holiday syndrome. Back in the fast-paced working environment, a full inbox can feel overwhelming and make people miss their relaxed holidays. Does this sound familiar? Then you're probably affected by the famous low mood too.
The bad news: the longer and more relaxing your holidays were, the more difficult it tends to be to go back to work. Symptoms like loss of motivation, concentration problems, irritability and even sleep disturbances can occur more frequently after switching off for a long period of time. The good news: after about three days, the worst will be over, and you'll gradually get used to your everyday working life again.
To get over the post-holiday blues more quickly and perhaps reduce them a little next time you go on holiday, there are a few simple tips that can help before, during and after the holidays.
Before the holidays
Cross off your to-do list
Hardly anyone goes on holiday feeling good if they have a long to-do list. That's why it's important to get as much work done as possible before you leave so that you can start the holidays with a clear head and really use the time to relax. In addition, you’ll have a fresh start at work after your break and won't have to catch up on old tasks. Having someone to stand in for you while you're away also prevents a pile of tasks from building up.
During the holidays
Time off work
During your holidays, your focus should be on relaxation. So it's best not to take your laptop or business phone with you at all. Some people do find it easier to relax if they read their emails from time to time, so that they don't accumulate lots of unread mail. However, it’s important to clearly limit this working time and not always check your mail as it comes in.
Strategic holiday planning
It’s best to plan your journey home one or two days before your first working day so that you have enough time to get settled. If you don't want to start with a whole working week right away, you could plan to end your holiday on a Wednesday or a Thursday, so that the weekend is already within reach.
Four tips for a relaxed start to school after the holidays
Adjust sleep rhythm gently in preparation for when school starts
Start with small steps in the final weeks of the holidays. Put your child to bed a little earlier each day and wake them up earlier in the morning. This ensures a smooth transition back to their daily routine.
Get them excited about going back to school
Actively talk about what makes them happy: seeing school friends again or learning about new things. If your child will be starting new subjects, spark their curiosity. Look at the teaching materials together, discover a child-friendly video or link the topic to their everyday interests.
Find fun ways of refreshing their knowledge
The summer holidays are long. You can make your child feel more secure by finding fun ways to help them brush up on what they learned the previous semester. Read together, practise mental arithmetic as part of your daily routine or help them go over their vocab. That way, you can fill in any gaps in their knowledge and boost their confidence.
Help them pack their schoolbag
Pack their schoolbag a few days before school starts. A short checklist will help you keep track and replace anything that's missing in good time. It's also a good opportunity to make your child happy with little treats in the form of useful school supplies.
After the holidays
Start your day of work slowly
You should space your meetings and deadlines sufficiently and not schedule too many. One option is to leave your out-of-office message on for one more day. It also makes sense for some people to work from home to begin with to get off to a calmer start. Avoid doing overtime on your first day back because the rest you had will quickly become a blur, and you don’t need to complete everything on your first day.
Holiday memories
Bringing souvenirs to work and talking about what you did can help you remember the good times you had.
Next holiday
An effective technique to combat the holiday blues: book your next holiday or next long weekend - it'll keep you motivated, and you'll have another break to look forward to.
