That sweet word “vacation”! We wait for it for months and dream about how we will sunbathe on the beach, climb mountains or just lie on the couch - here is who already likes to relax. But going back to work after vacation is quite difficult for most people. This is mainly due to the moral and psychological state of a person, since on vacation he relaxes as much as possible and “forgets” about work. Surely each of us at least once caught ourselves thinking: “I don’t want to go to work after my vacation!” And this doesn’t mean that you don’t love your job. Such thoughts are absolutely normal. But if you read our advice, it will be much easier to get ready for work after your vacation.
How to get back to work after vacation
Any vacation ends someday, and you have to return to the office and continue working. In psychology, there is even such a thing as “post-vacation syndrome” - when a sudden change of environment (from vacation to work) results in stress, irritability, laziness, depression and other unpleasant things for a person. On average, approximately 40% of office workers experience some kind of problem with a comfortable return to work after vacation.
To start working after your vacation as efficiently as possible and without compromising your moral and psychological state, try to adhere to the following recommendations:
1. Try to take vacations so that you went to work after it not from the beginning of the working week, but from its middle. That is, on Wednesday, or even better on Thursday. Starting work on Monday after several weeks of rest, the work week will seem painfully long. And if you work only 2-3 days before the weekend, then the process of establishing a working rhythm will be much more comfortable.
2. After vacation don’t immediately rush to do all your accumulated household chores. On the day you return home, you shouldn’t start general cleaning, finish renovations in the hallway, or start other routine housework. Even if these things are urgent, nothing bad will happen if you do them a few days later. But save your nerves and psychological health.
3. If you are going on vacation to another country, then plan your trip so that you returned home at least 2-3 days before going to work. During these days, you will have time to adapt a little to your usual environment and there will be no sudden change of scenery from a sunny beach to the gray walls of an office.
4. Before going to work, think about why you love her. Think about the most pleasant moments associated with work, about your favorite colleagues. Maybe you will even realize that you miss work and returning to your duties will be much easier and more enjoyable.
5. Before the first working day after vacation, be sure to get a good night's sleep, take a shower, have a delicious breakfast and dress for the weather. That is, try to minimize all situations that can ruin your mood.
6. It is quite possible that after your vacation you will have a lot of work tasks, and you can simply get confused from their number. Don't panic. Calmly prioritize all tasks and start doing them consistently, in your normal working rhythm. There is no need to try to do absolutely everything in one working day that you would do during your entire vacation.
7. On the first working day after vacation, try withdraw from making responsible and important decisions. If possible, postpone them until a few days later. Once you are fully in the rhythm of your work, you will be able to look at the situation differently and make more competent decisions.
8. There is an opinion that after a long rest a person’s ability to think processes somewhat decreases, in other words, IQ drops. And it takes some time for it to recover, from a couple of days to a week. Therefore, if you notice that you are being “stupid” during the first working days, you should not scold yourself for it or panic. Just Do easier tasks during this time.
9. Eat right. Nutrition always affects our well-being, both during vacation and during work. If you eat foods with a sufficient amount of vitamins and exclude fast food and other harmful foods from your diet, then the process of transition from a “non-working” state to a “working” state will also be more successful.
10. Tell your colleagues how you spent your holiday. Share your impressions with them, tell them where you were and what you saw. Such a conversation will add a positive note to your first working day after vacation and defuse the situation. In addition, this is a great way to once again relive all the emotions received on vacation, even if only mentally.
11. Don't sit at your desk all the time. And in a normal working rhythm, you sometimes need to get up from your workplace and show at least minimal physical activity. And after a vacation this is especially important. Walk to your colleagues in the next department or go outside and breathe fresh air for 5 minutes. And you need to do this not once a day, but at least 4-5.
12.Before going on vacation Don't leave clutter on your desk. Returning from vacation and seeing a chaos of papers, gadgets and other items on your desktop, this will definitely not make you feel good. Take care of this point before you go on vacation to get back to cleanliness and order.
13. If you feel like you are falling into post-vacation depression, devote enough time to your interests, hobbies and just relaxation. You can’t let work completely absorb you after your vacation. Even if you are a workaholic and are used to working a lot, start devoting 1.5-2 times more time to relaxation and your favorite activities.
Follow these simple tips, and then you won’t have the problem called “I don’t want to work after vacation.” Getting back to work after vacation is not that difficult, the main thing is to use the right approach!
Just yesterday you were fully enjoying your freedom, warming your belly on the beach, splashing in the pool and not knowing any worries at all, and today you are already gathering dust in a stuffy office, looking at the sad faces of your colleagues and the mountain of accumulated work that it seems you won’t have time to complete. and until the next vacation. Of course, this is a huge stress for the body. Some psychologists even came up with a term to characterize this condition - post-vacation syndrome. This disease affects about 40% workers returning from vacation. Let's take a closer look at what kind of animal this is - "post-vacation syndrome", and what it is eaten with.
Statistics tell us that 80-85% resignation letters are written by employees who have just returned from vacation. This is due to the fact that having given yourself a break in the form of a vacation, and then returning to work refreshed, it is easy to look at your work from the outside, analyze how dear it is to you and how satisfying it is to you. I would not recommend writing a statement in the first week after vacation. The fact is that against the backdrop of post-vacation depression, it may seem to you that your job is completely unsuitable for you, but this Feelings can be deceiving. Therefore, postpone this decision until at least next week, and if the intention to leave this job does not disappear, then it is really worth writing a statement.
Causes of post-vacation depression
The reason for this disease is that during vacation the body adjusts to a new schedule. Everyone changes biological and psychological rhythms, emotional background, diet and sleep patterns, the amount of mental and physical activity changes. And if you are vacationing in a different climate and in a different time zone, then you can add to all this acclimatization. When you go back to work, your body has to adjust back to a strict schedule. This takes some time (usually 2-5 days). At this time, your body and spirit seem to protest against you causing yourself such stress. This is where physical and psychological ailments arise, the name of which is post-vacation syndrome.
If you use alcohol, then it is quite possible that on vacation you will often abuse it, which is also will negatively affect the body when going to work.
Symptoms
Post-vacation syndrome is accompanied by a lot of unpleasant sensations, the most common of which are:
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Self-doubt
- Hot temper
- Headaches
- Pressure surges
- Insomnia
A person may even get sick acute respiratory infections– the body may well react in such a way as to extend its vacation.
Risk group
can defeat any worker, but there are some categories of citizens who are more at risk of experiencing all the delights of this syndrome for themselves.Dissatisfied with their work. If work does not bring any pleasure, and a person has to force himself to go to work just for the sake of money, then after several weeks full of positive emotions and vivid impressions, returning to an unloved job will be a very difficult ordeal.
Mentally unbalanced people. A sharp change in the rhythm of life, first of all, unbalances people prone to rash and impulsive actions.
Men. It is usually more difficult for men to get involved in work than for women. This is due to the fact that women have a more flexible psyche and they often go to work with pleasure, anticipating how they will tell their colleagues about their wonderful vacation and about the travels and adventures that took place on this vacation.
People who have long vacations. The clearest example is teachers. The longer the vacation lasts, the longer it will take to get into the rhythm of work.
People aged 40-45 years. At this time, many are experiencing the so-called midlife crisis. A person is overcome by thoughts about his own destiny, he tries to analyze the years he has lived and the mistakes he has made in his life. On vacation, he may well indulge in these philosophical reflections, but at work, problems with this may arise. Therefore, at this age, the return from heavenly pleasure to the harsh truth of life is especially painful.
So if you a mentally unstable man in his early 40s who works as a teacher and hates his job– I have bad news for you 🙁
But don't despair, friend! I have prepared some recommendations for you on how to how to return to work after vacation if not with pleasure, then at least by minimizing discomfort, depression And stress.
How to return to work after vacation
Get off vacation midweek. Try to plan your vacation so that the first day of work falls on midweek, and not at its beginning. Otherwise, the first week of work may seem unbearably endless to you.
Return from vacation 2-3 days before going to work. During this time, you will be able to slowly cool down from the impressions, get involved in the rhythm of the city, adapt to the weather and mentally tune in to work.
Don't spoil the last days of your vacation with household chores. After returning home from vacation, many try to redo the accumulated household chores in the last days of vacation, thereby poisoning these days for themselves. Women are especially guilty of this. No, I don’t encourage you to lie on the couch as a vegetable during the last days of your vacation, but there’s no need for excessive activity either. Try to find some balance. A little cleaning will be more than enough. You can deal with the rest of the matters later.
Think about work in a positive way. Remember why you love your job. Scroll through your head some positive moments related to your work and your colleagues. Imagine how, when you go to work, you will share impressions with colleagues, show photos and videos from your vacation, Maybe, give someone the souvenirs you brought. This positive attitude will help you get back into work easily, at ease and with pleasure.
Get enough sleep. To ease post-vacation syndrome, get enough sleep. Try to sleep at least 8 hours a day.
Plan your working time. A lot of work has probably accumulated during your vacation. There is no need to panic and take on everything at once. Better plan your working time. Deal with the main things first, and do the minor ones later. And don’t forget to be distracted every hour, especially if you have a sedentary job.
Put off making important decisions. Try to postpone all responsible and important decisions until the time when you get involved in work.
Try to spend your first working days "at ease". Don't overload yourself in the first days. Do a little cleaning, tidy up your desk, check your email. No labor feats in the first days! No need to stay late at work. If possible, try to leave early. And on your first weekend, try to have a good rest.
Don't worry if your thought processes are difficult. In a person who has been in the sun for several weeks, IQ decreases points by 20 . This discovery was made by German scientists. So, if you feel like you've gone a little stupid after your vacation, don't worry about it. In a few days IQ will recover.
Pamper your body with endorphins. Include some in your diet dark chocolate and more vegetables And fruit. It's better to take it from fruits oranges And bananas. These foods will nourish your body endorphins, which will make you feel a little happier. Don't forget also about morning exercises And walks in the fresh air. Drink more clean water. Among other drinks, pay attention to green tea And mineral water. But from strong tea And coffee It's better to refuse.
No drastic changes during this period.
If you have decided to change something fundamentally in your life, the first week after vacation is not the best time. After all, such changes require a lot of energy and, accordingly, can negate the positive effect obtained from rest. But if your hands are itching to change something in your life, start with the little things, and when you get into the working rhythm, then you can think about global changes.
Analyze your condition
Severe post-vacation syndrome is a sure sign that you are in the wrong place. People who work, as they say, "in its place" post-vacation syndrome is either mildly expressed or they are not familiar with this condition at all.
Personal experience
Personally, the last days of vacation are the hardest for me, and when I go back to work, I get sucked into it quite quickly. But in the last days of vacation, the mood is always at zero.
As for the duration of the vacation, I I like to go on vacation for a whole month. Several years ago I worked at an enterprise where I was provided with additional 14 days vacation. I took a vacation there once a year, all at once - for 42 calendar days. I don't like going on vacation 2 weeks- the subconscious does not perceive this as a vacation :) Moreover, in order to adjust from the work rhythm to the vacation, it also takes time - 3-4 days. And the last ones 3-4 days I'm already starting to think about work. So there is only a week of full vacation left. Whether it’s a matter of vacation 4 weeks! 🙂
Conclusion
Cutting transition from a relaxed state, which is missing discipline And obligations, and are present joy And pleasure, into a state of strict discipline is perceived by the body as extreme stress. The human psyche perceives the end of a vacation as a huge loss. The stress from such a drastic restriction of freedom can only be compared with parting with a loved one.
Have a smooth transition from vacation to everyday work! And let your work give you as many positive emotions as possible! Then you won’t face any post-vacation syndrome!
“I don’t want to go to work after vacation.” Sound familiar? And the brighter the well-deserved rest, the more difficult it is to return to everyday work. After a wonderful week-long vacation spent by the sea or in the mountains, a person often falls into the so-called post-vacation stupor: he doesn’t want to do anything, but only rest in his thoughts. And all this is accompanied by apathy, nervousness, insomnia, fatigue, and in some cases even fever.
Many employees do not return to work after vacation and write a letter of resignation. This is due to the loss of motivation and breaking stereotypes. In psychology, all these conditions are referred to as “post-vacation syndrome.” Its main reason is a sudden change of situation. But this is a short-term phenomenon. It usually lasts from 2 days to 2 weeks, then it goes away. Psychologists and doctors know how to transition from a relaxing vacation atmosphere to a work wave without problems and stress.
Give yourself a few bonus days to acclimatize
If you were on holiday in Turkey, Egypt or another warm country, do not go to work immediately after disembarking from the plane. By rushing suddenly into the whirlwind of work, you risk contracting depression and generally losing motivation. Therefore, plan your vacation at sea or somewhere else in such a way that there are 2-3 days left before going to work. During this time, you will not only acclimatize and get some sleep after a flight or trip, but also get into the usual rhythm of life, have time to sort things out, put souvenirs on shelves, print out photos with sea or mountain landscapes, and even miss your favorite tasks and colleagues. Adaptation will benefit you: going back to work after vacation will only be a joy for you.
Back to work after vacation: get back on track from midweek
Monday is a hard day. Everyone knows about this. The beginning of the week is especially difficult after a long vacation. If you start working from this day after several days spent at sea, in the mountains or in the country, the work week will turn into torture and will seem painfully long to you.
The most favorable day to return to work after vacation is Friday. Usually at the end of the week there are no important meetings, meetings or routine work.
Therefore, experts recommend returning to work after a vacation from the middle of the week, or better yet, from Thursday or Friday. So, having worked only 1-2 days before the weekend, you will more comfortably establish a working rhythm and will not have time to get tired of work, both physically and mentally.
Break your annual vacation into several parts
Many people who take a whole month off feel terribly tired on the first day of work. This happens due to the fact that over a long period of time a person has time to completely relax and get out of the habit of everyday work tasks, as well as the need to get up at the alarm clock and rush headlong to work.
To make getting out of the relaxing atmosphere and getting used to the work environment as comfortable and painless as possible, it is better to take your annual vacation in parts - 14 or 10 days. Experts recommend taking one vacation in winter and a second in summer. It is during these periods that a person most needs a change of scenery and relaxation. If you rest little by little, but several times throughout the year, you will feel less tired, and your integration into everyday work will be as comfortable as possible.
Get into work mode gradually
On the first working day after vacation, you should not “pounce” on your accumulated work tasks and household chores. Otherwise, feeling panic and horror from the amount of unfulfilled, you risk undermining your nerves and health. Return to work life gradually.
So, on the first day, instead of 6 tasks, complete 2-3. This could be checking email, answering letters, making a to-do list for the next week, and other small things that don’t require much stress.
Get into work mode smoothly, starting with simple things. And when you have already entered the usual rhythm, you can increase the load. This way you will quickly come to your senses and get used to the fact that you are back at work.
Also try to divide your work into several stages and give yourself 5-10 minute breaks between these parts. During your break, look at vacation photos, chat with colleagues, meet new employees, or go outside and get some fresh air.
And remember the following: do not stay at work late in the first days after your vacation, even if you have a complete rush. There will be no benefit from this: you will run out of steam faster, and you will do your job poorly.
Get enough sleep, eat well and get yourself in order
Our well-being depends on sleep and nutrition. Therefore, a few days before going back to work after vacation, try to sleep at least 8 hours and eat only healthy foods, forgetting about fast foods, fatty foods and strong coffee. In the post-vacation period, the body needs vitamins, minerals, as well as the “right” calories. Dilute your daily diet with vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seafood.
Eat dark chocolate. It lifts your mood and activates mental processes.
A few days before going to work, get a face mask, manicure, and haircut. Such activities will make you feel better and fresher.
Returning to work after vacation: give yourself pleasure
To prevent the vacation syndrome from dragging on, try not to devote yourself entirely to work, without reserve. Remember that you have your own life besides your career. Rest more and do enjoyable things. On weekends and after work, try not to lie on the couch. Lead an active lifestyle: go to the gym, go to the cinema, listen to good music or chat with friends over a cup of tea. And share your impressions of your vacation with colleagues by showing them photos and videos. But you shouldn't do this too often. Otherwise, nostalgia cannot be avoided.
Working non-stop leads to burnout. Therefore, you can’t do without a good vacation. But even here it is worth remembering that a well-deserved rest is only a small part of our life and sooner or later we need to return to our usual work routine. And to avoid becoming a victim of post-vacation syndrome, follow simple recommendations: get enough sleep, eat healthy food, don’t try to do everything in one fell swoop, lead an active and varied lifestyle and dream about your next vacation. And then you will easily fall into the work rut, and your favorite job will bring you joy and pleasure.
If the phrase " I don't want to go back to work after vacation” is increasingly spinning in your head, and thoughts about how to go back to work after vacation haunt you, then you are close to post-vacation syndrome.
How to get ready for work after vacation
- Try to plan your vacation so that there are 2-3 days left before going back to work. During this time, you will be able to get used to the climate, time zone, and just get some sleep if you spent your vacation like a real tourist, sightseeing and going on excursions.
- Spend the last days of your vacation in peace. There is no need to rush to meet friends, attend social events or start a rearrangement. The best option now is to slowly and measuredly do pleasant things: walks in the parks, long sleep, self-care.
- Reminisce. Nothing can unsettle you more than returning from fairy-tale places to the gray landscapes of your hometown. Try to preserve the feeling of the holiday for as long as possible - sort through photographs, re-read travel notes, write to new acquaintances, leave reviews on resources for travelers based on your fresh impressions.
- First day after vacation. The main mistake of the first day after vacation is going to work on Monday. Monday is already a hard day, and Monday after vacation can plunge even the most rested employee into the abyss of despondency. If possible, try to return to the office closer to the middle of the week - on Wednesday or Thursday. The idea that there are only a couple of days before the legal holiday will not only have a beneficial effect on the general condition, but will also prevent post-vacation syndrome.
- Do not attempt to begin your duties immediately. Chat with colleagues, find out current news. It’s better to postpone important tasks that require attention until later (you only have two days before the weekend, you shouldn’t start something serious, right?). Under no circumstances should you deprive yourself of your daily work rituals - a cup of coffee or an afternoon walk will be those “hooks” that, if you grab hold of them, will help you quickly return to your work rhythm.
- At home, as at work, it is better not to make important decisions and spend the first weeks in a calm atmosphere. You shouldn’t immediately burden yourself and your family with all the household responsibilities. Everyday routine can be as serious a stress factor as the post-vacation rush at work. If you don’t want to cook dinner, go to a restaurant with your family or order food at home, and weekly cleaning can wait - your good mood for your household is probably much more important than the absence of dust and ironed shirts.
- Take care of yourself. Your body will be grateful if you add fresh fruits, vegetable salads and plenty of clean water to your diet for a few days. Remember, the simpler the food, the better, and it will save you from spending hours at the stove. If you really want to relieve the tension of the first week with the help of alcohol, then don’t be too hard on yourself. Evening memories of relaxation over a glass of wine will bring only positive emotions.
As for sports, oddly enough, the first days after vacation are not the best time to resume intense training. Even if you gained a few extra pounds over the holidays and you can’t wait to get back into shape, try to get into a sports regime gradually - instead of aerobics - yoga or Pilates, instead of an anti-cellulite massage - a sauna or relaxing wraps. And finally, the main advice - do it last vacation days only what you really want, without paying attention to recommendations that diverge from your desires. If you can't wait to meet your friends and show off your even tan, don't lock yourself in the house. If you feel that you are ready to move mountains at work, feel free to rush into battle. Just don’t forget that initial enthusiasm can quickly burn out, so take on all undertakings wisely.
