Post-vacation stress It is a psychological alteration that, although it does not amount to a mental disorder described in diagnostic manuals, generates significant discomfort. This affects some people who tend to have problems getting used to the new rhythms of life after vacation and during returning to day-to-day work. It can affect people who have it to a greater or lesser extent for a period ranging from a couple of days to two weeks, and is accompanied by a series of symptoms associated with anxiety and concentration problems.
Now, no one is condemned to suffer post-vacation stress every time they return from those days of disconnection; There are some strategies that help prevent and avoid it. Here we will see the most important ones.
Although each person is unique, you can put these strategies into practice to reduce the chances of post-vacation stress appearing in your life when you return to work.
1. Organize time
Maintaining an organized day-to-day life is one of the first measures we can take to overcome vacation stress once we have resumed work activities and the daily routine of our work.
Establishing weekly and daily schedules both personally and for our children, we will be able to know at all times what activity or responsibility we must attend to and we will leave fewer hours to improvise during which stress can overtake us. In this way, we will find ourselves with fewer occasions in which the doubts of deciding what to do next paralyze us.
This organization can be carried out through agendas and diaries in which we write down all the obligations that we must face or through electronic devices in which we assign each important activity daily.
2. Reserve time to rest
Reserve some daily breaks to rest a little in the first days of returning to work or it can also help us acclimatize to this new period and facilitate a good physical and psychological state during said transition.
This means that in addition to carrying out daily work obligations, we must leave some time to relax and have fun during the day, whether alone or with friends, and make us feel better. This also involves getting up from the seat in which we have been working, to rest our eyes and restore our ability to concentrate on work.
Part of these hours or minutes for ourselves can be reserved right at the end of the day, when we feel most tired and we can dedicate it to watching a movie or series or doing sports or any other pleasant activity, but it is important that the other part of These breaks are integrated into the work schedule, to “air out” our day. Besides, they must be frequent ; Make sure you rest at least five minutes every 45 minutes.
3. Adapt vacation schedules to the new paradigm in advance
It is advisable get the body used to work schedules of the working months shortly before returning from vacation, approximately in the two days before the end of that period.
This prior preparation serves to get us used to the usual schedules of the rest of the year and consists of going to bed and waking up progressively at earlier hours, as well as eating meals also at a time more similar to what we can practice during the work or academic period. .
4. Do sports regularly
Physical activity is essential to maintain proper physical and psychological health, which is why it is so important to continue doing sports during the summer holidays and during the return, that is, at the beginning of returning to work.
Doing intense exercise will help us stay in shape and will allow us to release endorphins that help us feel better and prevent the stress that may arise after the summer holidays.
This exercise can be done in multiple ways, the most common are running, taking long walks in the afternoon in the cooler hours, signing up for tournaments or sports competitions, hiking, cycling or climbing.
5. Get used to work progressively
In addition to everything mentioned above, to overcome or avoid post-vacation stress it is also necessary to take a series of organizational measures just when we return to our daily obligations.
These measures may consist of assume obligations gradually starting with the simplest and then the most difficult, not taking work home or starting to work from the first day with a positive and motivating attitude.
6. If nothing seems to work, go to a psychologist
Requesting the services of a psychology professional can also help us develop anxiety management skills necessary to relate well to work and overcome post-vacation stress or prevent its appearance.
In this sense, if you feel that you are going through a bad time and need professional psychological assistance, contact our team of professionals. In Cepsim Psychological Center We can assist you in person or online by video call.
