September is here and with it the return of the vacations. Summer is over and it is time to return to routine, children go back to school and adults to their jobs. It is not always easy to resume habits after a period of leisure and recreation like the summer vacations. That's why the so-called post-vacation depression syndrome is becoming a common problem in Western societies.
The following oneHOWTO article explains what post-vacation syndrome is, what its symptoms are and how to overcome it.
What is post-vacation depression or post-vacation syndrome?
Post-vacation syndrome, also known as post-vacation depression, is an adjustment process at the time when active life resumes. When this process fails or is not properly completed, symptoms occur that affect the health of the individual but are not yet classified as a disease.
In any case, post-vacation syndrome can be considered a disease because it is a problem that affects a person's well-being. Human well-being includes not only the physical aspect, but also other aspects such as the social and emotional.
People who suffer from post-vacation syndrome experience negative changes in their psyche, which leads to significant discomfort that affects the quality of life of the individual.
The likelihood of suffering from this syndrome increases in people who are dissatisfied with their work environment. On the other hand, returning to work means change, and some people are more prone to symptoms of dejection or fear of the changes.
Dealing with someone suffering from depression can be challenging. If you are caring for a loved one who is depressed, you may have felt frustrated because you wanted to help but did not know how. Read on in this other article, where we have put together some tips and strategies to help care for someone with depression.
Symptoms of post-vacation syndrome
In the days before returning to work, anxiety symptoms such as muscle tension, increased heart rate, or sweating may occur. However, the most common symptoms are fatigue, apathy, lack of concentration and sleepiness. These Let us take a closer look at them:
- Fatigue: It seems that the vacation has not done its job, and we feel more tired than before the vacation. But it is a tiredness that is psychological and does not disappear by resting. It is more of a reaction to adjusting to routine and new schedules. It simply needs time to go away.
- Apathy: We feel little desire to do things, a sense of indifference and powerlessness. It is our reaction to the adjustment process.
- Lack of concentration: Lack of concentration due to post-vacation syndrome. This is why the first days at work are hard, we can not give 100% of ourselves no matter how hard we try. It is hard for us to concentrate and things get out of our mind. It is not advisable to ask too much of yourself in the first week.
- Sleepiness: You need to get used to the schedule. Getting up early always leads to sleepiness. So you need to gradually get your body used to going to sleep early so that you can get up without the feeling of sleepiness that accompanies you throughout the day.
If you want to learn more about dealing with depression and anxiety, do not miss this other article where we explain how to beat depression naturally.
Tips for overcoming post-vacation syndrome
If you or someone around you is going through this phase, there are many things you can do to help alleviate the situation. Below are some of them:
- Gradually return to a routine: If you can afford to work fewer hours in the first few days, do it.
- Don't overwork yourself: Setting more goals than you can achieve will only add fuel to the fire. Be aware that you can not give it your all if your concentration wanes.
- Try to regulate your sleep schedule: You need to fight fatigue. In summer, our sleeping patterns change, we go to sleep later and do not get up earlier. Now we need to regain the good habit to be able to perform the next day. If you do this a few days before you start work, so much the better.
- Exercise: September is a good month to set yourself challenges. It will help you feel good, and you'll release those endorphins you so desperately need to fight apathy.
- Plan an outing for the weekend: This way you can recharge your batteries and treat yourself, even if only for the weekend.
- Keep in mind that this feeling is temporary: It usually lasts a week or two. Then you'll be back to 100%, and before you know it, you'll be on holidays again.
Adding vitamin-rich foods to your diet will give you the energy boost you crave. In this other article, you'll learn which are the best vitamins for fatigue, so you can face each new day full of vitality.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to What Is Post-vacation Syndrome? - Symptoms and Tips, we recommend you visit our Mental health category.