20 Jan Post holiday blues anyone?
It is common at this time of year as people head back to work after a well-deserved break that they may start to feel down or even a little depressed. Post holiday blues is a relatively normal phenomenon following time away from work. Holidays are often a time for relaxing, for doing things out of the norm and most importantly they give us extra time to do the things that we enjoy doing. So, it is little wonder that returning to the everyday routine of life can leave us with a sense of gloom.
But don’t worry, it won’t last long and there are things you can do to combat it.
Top 6 things you can do to combat holiday blues:
- Plan your next holiday
It might sound a little silly but having something to look forward to can really help. Even just thinking about how enjoyable it will be to go on that next holiday can evoke pleasure and improve mood.
- Enjoy the memories
Having some mementos, photos or other reminders of your holiday around you at work can help to recreate that holiday vibe. When you look at these reminders your brain will conjure up the feelings that went along with them and leave you in positive state of mind.
Having a sense of gratitude about your holiday can also help. Not everyone is so lucky to take a break or do interesting things. Take some time to think about what you are grateful for about your holiday. Gratitude is an important factor for positive mood.
- Incorporate pleasant events into your everyday
Relaxation and fun activities don’t just have to occur on holidays. Sure holidays give us more time and opportunity to do these activities but they are still possible in our everyday life, just on a smaller scale. For instance if you enjoy reading while on holidays, make a commitment to schedule reading time in to your week. If you enjoy walking on the beach while on holiday, make time in your diary to do this every now and then. If you enjoy going to new places, treat yourself to new and interesting cuisines. Often the things we do on holidays can be achieved in our daily lives if we make time for them.
- Look after yourself
One of the best ways to take care of our mood is to care for our body. Exercise, healthy eating and lots of sleep are all mood boosting activities. Make sure your return to work includes time for caring for yourself.
- Notice your self-talk
The way you are thinking about work might well be half the problem. If you mind is full of negative thoughts like “I hate work”, “I wish I still on holidays” or “My boss is a …” then this mindset is likely to foster unhappiness. Whilst these thoughts might be normal and natural it can help to make sure you don’t get caught up in them and instead let them pass you by.
- Focus on what matters
Instead of focusing on why you don’t want to be at work and how it would be much better to be on holidays, see if you can focus on what matters about work. Are there things about your job that are important to you? If you really have trouble coming up with anything it might be time to look for a new job!
Could it be depression?
We expect that post holidays blues will resolve themselves with a few days to a few weeks. If low mood extends beyond this then it might be more than just the return to work that is the problem. If you find that your mood remains low, you don’t enjoy things that you normally find pleasurable and a sense of hopelessness and helplessness is creeping in, it might be time to seek some help. You can try this checklist from Beyond Blue to help you see if you might be suffering from depression https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety-and-depression-checklist-k10 If you are concerned that you might be suffering from depression a psychologist can help. Call us at Prosper Health Collective on 6381 0071 or contact us for assistance.
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