End of Tet: Science recommends taking an extra day off to avoid ‘post-holiday moody syndrome’

New year, new joy, new excitement… All that remains is the slogan on the day that the Tet holiday ends. The haunting alarm bell has returned, along with the cycle of responsibility and work.

Although only a week has passed, but when you look back, you will see that the joyful New Year’s Eve, the cozy reunion parties, and the leisurely days of spring travel have all become distant memories.

Feeling nostalgic and wanting to go back in time is one of the symptoms of “post-vacation blues”. It can make you feel tired, depressed, less productive, or even depressed.

In this article, we’ll learn about that common psychological effect and some tips to overcome and regain the true excitement of the New Year.

Why do we feel sad after the holiday?

Scientific research shows that in general, all vacations are good for mental health. It is a time when we can relax, reduce stress, “recharge” ourselves to regain our creativity and productivity.

Dr Jarrod Haar, a professor of human resource management at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand said:People should pay attention to themselves like they pay attention to their cell phones. We need time to rest and recharge – just like a phone needs a recharge.”

A long-term study in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health has shown that every 10-day vacation can reduce the risk of depression for employees by 29%.

The paradox, however, is that the happiness you feel on vacation often doesn’t last long. On the first day of returning, 57% of respondents said they would feel tired or depressed.

Symptoms that range from transient to last for more than 2 weeks include:

– feeling nostalgic, dreamy, empty,

– lack of energy, decreased concentration, loss of interest,

– overwhelmed or exhausted by the old rhythm of life and work…

“Starting a new year with heavy work is like launching a bunch of apps on your phone after it’s just charged. You will be consumed at a faster rate“, explains Dr. Jarrod Haar.

According to the Set-Point Theory, post-holiday sadness is an automatic emotional balancing mechanism of the brain. During the vacation, you have had too many interesting activities, the continuous release of dopamine will make you feel countless moments of overwhelming happiness.

But our emotional euphoria is only one side of the scale. When dopamine is released in excess, the body’s homeostasis mechanism pushes you towards the other balance – depression – for a moment to regain its inherent set-point.

That’s why we still feel a bit sad after having fun activities, such as after watching a movie, going on a fun outing, and of course, a holiday. long too.

Research shows that the longer and more enjoyable the holidays are, the stronger the feeling of post-holiday moodiness people can experience. Luckily, scientists say there are a few tips to get through it:

Please take an extra day off

Emotional imbalances take time to recover to the set point. So you should never return to your workday immediately after a vacation. Psychologists point out that a buffer day after the holiday is the best way to beat moody syndrome.

If you can arrange the time, spend the last day of your vacation doing some prep, wind-up work. For example: organizing to-do tasks, replying to a few emails in advance… These small tasks, once completed, will give you momentum during the day back to work, so that everything becomes smooth and easy. perfect.

In case you have a very busy holiday and feel that you are still not ready to return to work, my advice is to take an extra day off to adjust. A moody day after a vacation at work will reduce your performance, so coming back later but being more productive would be a better option.

However, to be effective, you should not use buffer days the way you would use your holidays. Don’t continue to sleep in, hang out, or even party all night. Instead, get up early, exercise, clean the house…

Choose jobs that help you gradually adapt to the pace of everyday life. This will help restore a better emotional set point. However, don’t work too hard to feel tired during the buffer day.

You should still make time for yourself to sit down, have a cup of tea and enjoy the taste of your last day off. And don’t forget to go to bed early to wake up early the next day, when you return to work.

Refresh your workspace

According to the American Psychological Association, a tidy and personalized workspace can improve your mood. The ideal advice for everyone is to clean up their workspace before the holidays instead of after.

It’s a way for us to save time on the first day of work, when the only thing to do is put an extra photo of our vacation on it. Psychologists say that a great vacation photo or diary can help us practice gratitude, reinforce the present, provide psychological comfort and happiness. happier.

That’s also what was shown in a study published in the journal Art Therapy. Nostalgia for the good times on vacation is not necessarily a bad effect.

We will feel sad when Tet decorations are lowered, peaches and kumquats are carried away, on garbage trucks instead of being transported to the bonsai market. But all those feelings will be compensated if you are reminded of the good memories of the last Tet holiday.

So decorate and refresh your workspace. Even if possible, change or redesign the space to have more natural light instead of artificial light from electric lights. These are very simple steps that can instantly improve your post-holiday anxiety when you return to work.

Set moderate goals, don’t be too hard on yourself

Whether you’ve had a buffer day or a burst of energy for the first day of work in the new year, the next thing to keep in mind is not to expect too much. HR experts say the first week of the new year is always a warm-up period.

No company or organization can expect to achieve 100% performance in these early days. Even if you’ve gotten over your post-holiday mood swings, it’s unlikely that other employees in your company have done the same. Therefore, coordination between colleagues and departments will be problematic.

Therefore, you should fight the feeling of being overwhelmed or setting too many goals for your first day at work, only to be disappointed and bored later by not meeting that goal.

The advice for you is to make a list of the smallest and easiest tasks, things that you can complete on your own, for example checking email, rereading documents, client messages …

These tasks will help you know what’s going on, regain a sense of control over your work, prevent chaos, and give you a good idea of ​​what you should do next.

Finally, don’t forget that even after the holidays are over, you still need to take good care of yourself. Going back to work doesn’t mean you’ll be exhausted and working all day and night.

Add “mini breaks” to your schedule, whether it’s just a lunch break with colleagues, a small chat, a news update, or a re-share of everyone’s vacation memories. People…

These things can make you feel faint at firstcompanies, but if organized properly, they will be good for your productivity.

It sounds equally silly, but it helps to check the calendar to see when you’ll have your next vacation again. It will give you a sense of anticipation, an incentive to relieve sadness and moody feelings after the Tet holiday has ended.

Practicing these little psychological tips will help you feel more excited, so that returning to work is no longer the feeling of having to start over again with endless and boring days.

Reference Medicalnewstoday, CNBC, Nzerald, Psychologytoday, Healthline