Renter to work after the holidays it’s always tiring. And the risk is to nullify the benefits of the holiday already in the first week of recovery. It is possible to organize the return in a strategic way, such as minimize stress? We asked the Doctor Peter RamellaPsychologist and Psychotherapist at outpatient clinics Humanitas Medical Care Domodossola And De Angeli in Milan and specialist in the centre Psycho Medical Care by Humanitas.
Post vacation blues: what it is
“Is called post vacation blues or post-holiday blues and it is one psycho-physical response to returning to everyday life different from the calm and relaxed rhythms of the holiday. It is a type of syndrome characterized by symptoms depressive and/or anxious which can occur immediately after returning from vacation. Getting back to work, school or your daily routine isn’t easy for anyone, but for some it can be even more difficult. Unlike actual depression, however, the post vacation blues it is a transient and easily treatable condition» reassures Doctor Ramella.
Who suffers from it
“For many people the holidays represent the only moment of distancing from the normal routine everyday life, a space of which our body and mind need to slow down the rhythms and relax. Upon returning, the re-immersion in the daily routine and the sudden recovery of the frenetic rhythms, both emotionally and physicallywith all that they act like responsibilities, concerns and duties, can lead to a real state of general malaise. This condition is currently found even in people who return after a few weeks vacation», continues the expert.
Return to work: the symptoms of malaise
«The most common symptoms can include both the sphere mental that that physics. Among them apathy and flattening of emotions, feeling of daze, difficulty concentratinglack of initiative, irritability or nervousness, increased anxiety levelswhich can be combined meloncholysadness, mood swings, feeling of emptiness. Between physical symptomshowever, they can manifest themselves exhaustion, muscle pain or tension, fatigue not justified by strenuous physical activity or other activities, headachesdrop in sleep quality or even insomniadigestive problems», warns Dr. Ramella.
How to prevent
A good return to work is planned before leaving. It is possible to adopt a series of precautionssome of which may be put in place even before going on vacation. “Board of carve out days to prepare for the holiday, slowing down the pace a few days before departure so that we can improve the organization of the trip itself. Often a poor organization risks favoring a less relaxing holiday period characterized by more unexpected events that do not allow you to stay in the here and now of the holiday itself, thus favoring the sensation of an almost sudden return and for which one does not feel “prepared”», suggests the expert.
Work: return in small steps
“It is good continue to carve out moments of relaxation and leisure. Being back from vacation doesn’t mean dedicating our whole day to obligations and duties. A space of care for ourselves is essential to encourage a return characterized by continuous well-being.
board of try to start again in small stepswithout wanting to do everything immediately, setting realistic goals, “initially lowering the bar” we were used to. After a few days or weeks of relaxation, either our body and our mind have become accustomed to work with different rhythms. Asking ourselves for a sudden change of pace would be like shift from second to fourth gear while we are driving, we would certainly reach cruising speed but more slowly and with greater difficulty», concludes Doctor Ramella.
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