Holidays: you blink and they're over! Here are our five top tips for beating those post-holiday blues.
It’s common knowledge that any holiday feels like it’s over before it’s even started. One minute you’re relaxing and enjoying your free time, the next you’re back at the office dealing with your backlog of emails, or in the library working on your next assignment.
No matter how fast the holidays fly by, it can always be difficult getting back into the swing of things at work or university when you’ve been away for a week or two. If you catch yourself struggling, here are our five top tips for beating those post-holiday blues.
1. Set yourself a challenge
Having a solid goal to work towards, whether it’s career related or more personal, will give you something to focus on and prevent you from dwelling too much.
Make a plan of action, identifying the steps you need to take to reach the goal you’ve set. All in all, rising to a challenge you have set yourself will give you a sense of achievement. This can create a positive mental attitude and help you deal with feeling down now that your holiday has come to an end.
If you're looking to go further in your career in 2019, you might want to consider studying a degree which can fit around your existing commitments.
2. Make the most of your weekends
Even if your break seems like a distant memory, you still have your weekends to spend doing the things that make you happy. Whatever it is you enjoy, make sure you always find time to do it. When you’re working five days a week it’s really important to reward yourself, as it not only gives you something to look forward to while you’re working or studying, but prepares you for the week that follows, too.
3. Adapt a more positive attitude
Sometimes, we only feel down because we’re stuck in a negative mindset. With a bit of self motivation, this is something that can be easily shaken off. Instead of finding the negative in everything (which we all do from time to time), focus on the positives. In this instance, rather than fretting over the fact that your holiday is over, try being thankful about the fact that it happened in the first place.
4. Work on things you don't like
If the reason you dread returning to the office after a holiday is down to particular things at work that you don’t like, make a pact with yourself to tackle these head on and resolve any problems you might have. Perhaps you have a heavy workload and struggle saying ‘no’ to people when they give you unrealistic deadlines, or maybe there’s a colleague that you wish you could form a better professional relationship with.
Whatever the problem, think about ways you can solve it and then act upon it. That way you’ll feel happier coming into work, not just when you’re returning from a holiday, but on a day-to-day basis, as well. If there’s something you want to change, you have the power to do something about it.
5. If all else fails… start planning for your next holiday!
If none of the above methods work for you, what better way to beat your post-holiday blues than to start planning your next? Whether it’s a few days off to spend time with your family, or travelling abroad to experience a different country, always make sure you have something to look forward to and keep you motivated, no matter how big or small.
