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You have just returned from vacation, but instead of the expected influx of strength and energy – drowsiness, apathy, a feeling of emptiness? Instead of working for hours, reviewing photos from a trip, regretting how quickly it ended? Our experts will tell you how to quickly get out of this state and return to the usual rhythm of life.
Longing for the last vacation overtakes us already at the exit from the plane. “The most difficult moment for me is the road from the airport. Just now there were palm trees, sea and sand around, and after a few hours you have to stand in a multi-kilometer traffic jam among gray concrete buildings, – says Ekaterina, 29 years old. “At this moment, I realize with horror that tomorrow I will need to put on a suit and go immediately after my vacation to work.” Many people are familiar with these feelings. In English, there are several terms for this condition at once: post-travel depression (PTD), post-vacation blues, post-holiday blues, i.e. post-holiday depression. According to a study published in 2010 in the New Zealand journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, we feel more relaxed and happier before a holiday than after! As the main reasons, experts name, firstly, stressful situations during the trip, and, secondly, a feeling of dissatisfaction if the vacation did not turn out the way they wanted.
“Disappointment and, as a result, post-holiday depression often arise because we put too many expectations and hopes into the upcoming trip,” comments psychotherapist Natalya Fomicheva, head of the Department of Psychotherapy and Psychological Counseling at the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis. – Imagination draws fabulous pictures with golden sand and green palm trees, and at this moment the childish part of our psyche turns on. But on vacation, a person begins to look at everything critically, from the position of an adult, not allowing himself to relax. As a result, the child returns home, who was not allowed to play enough. Therefore, it is so important to give yourself permission to be spontaneous, creative on vacation – to meet new people, go on interesting excursions, explore new corners of the world. And sometimes just splash in the waves and build sand castles. Ultimately, why not?
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Switch yourself to rest
To avoid the post-vacation blues, you first need to change your attitude to the rest. “People who live in the work-sleep-work mode are most susceptible to such conditions. It is difficult for them to relax, and on vacation they simply do not have time to switch, – explains Natalya Fomicheva. – A high degree of dependence on work will provoke anxiety: what is happening there while I am here? They are the ones we often see on the beach with a laptop.”
If work does not leave your thoughts day or night, you need to prepare for a vacation in advance. To do this, you can perform a few simple steps: put the phone on an answering machine, warn colleagues about your departure, finish all important things. “In addition, workaholics often have a broken connection with their own body,” adds the psychotherapist. “And when a lot of new things “fall down” on vacation – sunlight, sea water, plentiful food – from such an overload, the feeling of anxiety only grows.” Therefore, it is important for them to be able to fixate on what is happening here and now, literally with the help of all five senses: “I am holding a cup of tea in my hands, it is warm, the tea smells delicious.” Another effective way is physical activity. Of course, most of us dream of “falling face down in the sand”, but, according to experts, this type of vacation rarely brings a sense of satisfaction. Natalya Fomicheva advises: “Jog along the beach, do yoga in the forest – any exercise that brings pleasure will do. It’s not just a health benefit. Active exercises help to quickly remove the accumulated adrenaline, the stress hormone, from the body.
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Return to normal rhythm gradually
Most people make the same mistake: they go to work the very next day after their vacation. Thus, we lose half of the benefits that we received on vacation. It is necessary to leave yourself at least 2-3 days and spend them very calmly. “On vacation, at the very least, we fall into a state of relaxation,” explains practical psychologist, specialist in the field of socio-psychological training, body therapist Svetlana Arkhipova. – It is characterized by relaxation, slowing down of motor activity, breathing. But when you return home, everything changes. At work, we force our body to quickly activate, which invariably leads to a stressful state. Without allowing ourselves to smoothly acclimatize and get used to the “new” environment, we injure our body and emotions. That is why after the holidays there are headaches, insomnia, irritability, and sometimes malfunctions in the immune system, viral diseases.
“Do not try to answer all letters at once,” advises Natalia Fomicheva. – On the very first working day after the vacation, try to divide cases into important and urgent, urgent and unimportant, non-urgent and unimportant. After a vacation, it’s enough to set yourself the minimum tasks for each day. ” And nothing increases stress like an office routine. Therefore, it is better to devote the first days to those things that give pleasure. And it’s not just about work! These days are ideal for going to the theater or an exhibition, meeting with friends – everything that brings joy and returns you to a relaxed state.
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Find balance in the body
“The rapid transition from relaxation to activity is stressful not only for our psyche, but also for the body,” says Svetlana Arkhipova. – This is expressed even at the level of movements – they become sharp, trembling in the hands, legs or heat is felt. On vacation, the body was saturated with moisture and oxygen, and now the skin becomes dry again, rashes may appear on it. Breathing is quickened, as we often suffer from oxygen starvation. All this is an attempt by the body to get involved in the work process, although, in fact, it is not ready for it. The protective mechanisms that arise as a result of this lead to post-holiday depressive states.
“Therefore, you need to strive for balance,” the psychologist continues. – This is the most desirable state for the body during the period when it adapts after heavy loads. At this point, our muscles are toned but not tense, our breathing is calm, and our emotions are balanced.”
How to find balance? During this period, our body requires especially careful handling. Try to go to bed a little earlier, walk more. On vacation, our body gets used to open space and plenty of oxygen, so after work, you can plan a walk in the fresh air. But with heavy physical exertion, it is better to wait two or three weeks – sports bring the body into a state of activation too sharply.
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“In fact, if you spent a comfortable vacation, then your body has already come into a state of balance,” says Svetlana Arkhipova. “Then it only needs to be supported in the first working days: do not take tense postures (cross arms and legs), do not make sudden movements, do not speak in a loud voice, do not strain the lower jaw.” If you still feel discomfort, massage the anti-stress points. They are located in the area around the mouth: above the upper lip, under the lower jaw in the dimple of the chin and at the corners of the lips. Another way to help relieve tension after conflicts with colleagues is to turn on cold water and hold your hands under the stream for 1-2 minutes. It is especially important to watch your breathing. Rapid breathing indicates stress. In this case, try to make a short pause between a calm inhalation and exhalation. Returning home, you can turn on quiet melodic music, brew herbal tea from infusion of mint, heather and oregano.
Food – bright, light, tasty
During the trip, we pampered ourselves with sweets and local delicacies, promising to immediately go on a strict diet at home. But it turned out that food restrictions only exacerbate the post-vacation blues. “Here we go back to talking about our inner child. We just fulfilled his every whim, and now we have taken away all the toys. Any child in such a situation either quietly cries on the sidelines, or violently resists, ”warns Natalya Fomicheva. Listen to your body. Most likely, he will want a cake with whipped cream, but it is better to exclude heavy, floury ones. Such products only provoke a state of depression. Replace sweets with more bright, juicy fruits. They have a beneficial effect not only on the physical condition, but also cheer up, returning us the feeling of summer, sun and warmth. It is advisable to give up at this moment any stimulants – coffee, alcohol, nicotine. After all, in a state of stress, our psyche is like a tired person walking along the road – if you constantly spur him on, at some point he will simply fall.
Find a “positive anchor”
“I have found a“ cure ”for myself – immediately after the vacation I begin to prepare for a new journey! Upon returning home, I subscribe to the newsletter about tickets in the desired direction. In this way, I spend a few pleasant minutes on a virtual vacation every day, and work becomes easy and pleasant! — shares Anna, 48 years old. Such “tricks” really help us get through the post-vacation blues faster, psychologists confirm. In order to feel happy after the rest, try to transfer the emotions received during the trip into your daily life. Arrange souvenirs, incense, photographs on the shelves – everything that will remind you of pleasant moments. “In psychology, this is called a positive anchor,” explains Natalya Fomicheva. – It is a “clue” in the unconscious, which again and again brings us back to the state when we were happy. It is important that these hooks excite all the senses, then our body will also be able to “remember” pleasant moments.”
Vacation is a pleasure that we strive for all year round. But returning to a job you love should not turn into torture and lead to depression. Therefore, sometimes it is useful to listen to the signals that the body sends us: is everything good in my daily life, if it is so difficult for me to return to it? “Any serious emotional state requires a very careful study,” warns Natalya Fomicheva. – And if the profession brings pleasure, then after the vacation there will be a certain absent-mindedness, a decrease in attention, a slight apathy. But if returning to the office causes a wave of disgust and even physical discomfort, then this is a signal that something is going wrong in life. Maybe it’s time to change jobs…or even the city!”