What's the most anticipated time of the year? Vacation! And the least anticipated? Going back to work.Everything comes to an end. And even happy holidays are no exception to this reality.
When we go on vacation, we drastically change our routine. We feel free, we travel, visit friends, read books, recharge, and release stress—in short, we do activities we don't normally have time for. Upon returning to work, we experience a clash between the pleasure of vacation and the stress of getting back into the swing of things. This clash can affect work productivity, and we can even suffer from post-vacation blues or depression.
What is post-vacation syndrome?
It is the anxiety caused by the process of readjusting to the work routine after a vacation. It usually lasts between one and two weeks.
Vicente Gil, Medical Director of Cigna, tells us that "Returning to routine requires an adaptive process that every worker must overcome. Otherwise, genuine cases of acute stress can arise, with the respective emotional and physical manifestations that characterize it.".
The professionals most likely to suffer from this syndrome are people with high resistance to change, less resilience, as well as those professionals whose working conditions are not adequate due to excessive workload, interpersonal problems, or performing very routine activities.
Now, What are the symptoms of post-vacation syndrome?
Apathy, lack of energy, lack of motivation, tiredness, lack of concentration, stress, sadness, bad mood, high anxiety, sleep disorder.
That is why we must try to reduce the chances of suffering from this syndrome, since it affects our life in general and our environment during the period of adaptation to the work routine.
But returning to work doesn't have to be traumatic. In this article, we present the keys to returning from summer with motivation and without any stress:
Positive attitude
Maintaining a positive attitude is essential to seeing the world through rose-colored glasses and taking advantage of opportunities. A positive attitude is crucial for overcoming the adjustment period and understanding that the work routine also includes enjoyable experiences.
Organisation
One of the biggest challenges when returning to work is the thought that we won't have time for ourselves anymore, that we won't be able to pursue our hobbies and recreational activities that we love so much. But it doesn't have to be that way. All it takes is organizing our lives, planning our days, and creating a space dedicated to ourselves. This personal enjoyment time should be sacrosanct, because there needs to be a balance between work and personal life to feel fulfilled.
Turn weekends into mini vacations
Weekends are meant for rest and recharging after a long week. But… we often end up spending them doing more stress: cleaning, running errands, fixing things, and so on. Plan your weekends like mini-vacations to break free from routine and look forward to the next weekend.
Avoid taking long vacations
The longer the vacation period, the greater the resistance to returning to work. Try to divide your vacations into periods shorter than 21 days, as 21 days is enough time to form a habit. If vacations become a habit, the trauma will be greater.
Leave your tasks in order before going on vacation
This will make the return to work less traumatic and will also prevent inconveniencing colleagues during our absence. With everything in order, the return will be smoother. Remember that the first few days are for catching up on what happened during our absence, which will be impossible with pending tasks. It's advisable to set goals and a work plan for the first week back.
These are some strategies to ensure a successful return to work and help us maintain a positive attitude and motivation that allows us to perform well and achieve the expected results.