Post-holiday syndrome is a clinical concept that indicates a person suffers from a set of symptoms that arise as a reaction to a change in their lifestyle. That is, the abrupt shift from the vacation pace of life to the demands of work life. The body needs time to adapt to the demands of daily routine, and during this process, some physical and psychological reactions appear which, although usually short-lived, often cause some discomfort to the person experiencing them.
The most relevant symptoms that can be observed are excessive fatigue, slight forgetfulness, invincible morning sleepiness, loss of attention, muscle aches or headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, slight anxiety, sadness, apathy, discouragement, lack of motivation, or any discomfort not felt just a few days ago.
When work activity is not gratifying or is excessively demanding, these symptoms can lengthen and worsen over time. According to some studies, for a worker to feel comfortable in their daily tasks, it is important that a series of characteristics associated with healthy work activity are met. Among the most important are variety of activities, moderate work demands, opportunity to use one’s own skills, autonomy, minimal uncertainty, decent working conditions, sufficient remuneration, friendship at work, and a socially valued position. Likewise, when working conditions are characterized by organizational defects, monotony, lack of interest and autonomy, uncomfortable postures, inconvenient schedules, lack of communication, conflicts with bosses, excessive noise, handling of toxic substances, etc., it becomes more difficult for the person to overcome this adaptation period, and therefore the set of symptoms described above may appear.
In the case of children, it is rarer to observe this symptomatology, as schools already try to make a progressive entry into academic activity. However, the symptoms are basically somatic complaints such as stomach ache, headache, loss of appetite, or difficulty falling asleep. The role of parents is fundamental in providing children with stable sleep-wake rhythms and eating patterns adapted to school schedules. If this adaptation is done a few days in advance, we ensure that children can transition from vacation routine to school routine with complete normality.
It would not be strange to observe that if parents are under the effects of post-holiday adaptation syndrome, the family environment may be altered, with a higher frequency of conflicts or difficulties in normalizing daily obligations, including childcare. Thus, post-holiday syndrome can have an impact on family life.
Given these conditions, there are a series of recommendations that can help improve a person’s response to the end of the holiday period.
Progressive acclimatization to the new pace of life. Accepting that imperfections and mistakes will appear, as everyone is in a period of readjustment.
Schedule a balanced work agenda, avoiding isolation. Conversation is very important, especially with this syndrome, if you need to provide information to a colleague.
Balanced nutritional guidelines: drink plenty of water; avoid stimulating drinks, excessive tobacco or alcohol, junk food, etc.
Do not return to work abruptly, but do so progressively several days before resuming activity.
It can also be useful to train in an anxiety-reducing technique: self-hypnosis, yoga, or meditation, among others.
Òscar Asorey
Coordinating Psychologist of the Master’s in Clinical and Health Psychology and Director of ISEP Clínic Reus