Post-vacation stress: how to cope with returning from your holidays

Post-vacation stress is a syndrome that affects people when they return from vacation. Getting back to daily activities after switching off can cause physical and psychological problems. The difficulties range from a state of unease and malaise to depression in the most serious cases. The condition lasts for the first few weeks and then is destined to fade and disappear.
It is not, however, a disease, but only a temporary state of affairs that needs to be dealt with properly. For this reason, NefroCenter advises its patients to turn to the Istituto Neurodiagnostico Vaia in Napoli for more thorough checkups if the malaise persists.

Symptoms

Post-vacation stress shows up with a variety of symptoms. First among them is fatigue. In fact, even after a wonderful, relaxing vacation you can feel tired. This happens because your daily habits change. You suddenly go from a mind free of excessive worries to a mind crowded with commitments and appointments to keep. Fatigue, therefore, becomes a state of mind. In more serious cases you may even experience mild depression, with everything that comes with it, such as the urge to withdraw and do nothing. Melancholy is also a mood that can be traced back to post-vacation stress. You feel a little sad for no apparent reason, and nothing seems able to engage you and bring you out of your torpor. Mood swings should not be underestimated either, as they can be a cause of post-vacation stress and spill over negatively into social relationships.

The worry caused by the end of the holidays: post-vacation stress

Excessive worry should not be overlooked. Returning to work and school commitments, perhaps with new responsibilities, can cause great anxiety, as if the person facing them were no longer capable of doing so. The expenses to be met for the home and the family can also have an effect, after being a little more relaxed on vacation and allowing yourself some extra fun and spending.

Remedies for post-vacation stress

The main remedy for post-vacation stress is sleeping well. Only those who manage to rest and sleep without interruption can recover quickly and without difficulty. On vacation the rhythms are different and you can sleep more, but in the frantic working life even 6-7 hours of sleep are sometimes a mirage. However, you should not abruptly cut down the time you devote to sleep when you return from vacation. 

Eating to get back on track

Three elements can make the difference. Minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants are essential in a post-vacation diet. Fighting free radicals with good nutrition is rule number one for getting back into rhythm right away. Calories should be concentrated in the morning and gradually reduced toward the evening. Fruit and vegetables are indispensable and should be daily companions at meals and snacks. Avoid sauces and fried foods, which weigh you down. 

Dealing with work

Coming back from vacation and finding yourself straight back at work requires a method to avoid stress. First of all, plan and talk with your colleagues. A good relationship with the people in the workplace is essential. It rejuvenates and brings positive feelings. Having planned goals and knowing how to reach them is a secret to focusing on work right away, setting aside the melancholy and thoughts of a vacation that is already over and that unfortunately seems very far away.