The Best Way to Manage Holiday Blues

August 25th, 2011 by Lifestyle Therapy - Susan Leigh

Surprisingly, many people start to feel stressed as they realise that the day of their holiday is fast approaching. They start to stress about the volume of work they have to cover before their final day, worry about what will happen whilst they are away and may even start to feel unwell as the realisation that they are having some free time dawns on them.

Some people spend the first few days of their holiday tense and edgy. They may even go down with cold and flu like symptoms as they relax from their normal hyper-vigilant state. In fact, many people don't take their full allocation of annual leave because of pressure of work. Hypnotherapy can be a useful way of de-stressing prior to going on holiday. It enables the client to let go of any guilt, fear, apprehension, stress, appreciate that a break from work is important for many reasons and is a useful way of introducing a sense of balance, relaxation and the ability to enjoy some quality free time.

Holidays, in fact can be quite stressful times. Deciding where and when to go, packing, getting family organised, coordinating diaries, sitting at airports can all be fraught activities. Spending time in close proximity with family can be awkward if it is a rarity. Regular daily life often entails few deep conversations as couples arrive home late in the evening, household chores require a lot of time, children need lifts and attention.

Hypnotherapy is useful as a way of helping people attain a better balance between professional and personal life. Coming to appreciate the importance of committing energy to family and personal relationships, taking a break and sharing time with loved ones is an important investment in one's own health and the health of family relationships. Living in a stressful work environment can take its toll and hypnotherapy can help to recognise the signals that indicate a break is needed. The time spent on fun and relaxation can then be fully enjoyed and so improve every area of life.

Returning to work after a holiday can be stressful as people speculate on what they will return to. Some people rush back into the full swing of a busy work life, picking up where they left off and trying to make up for the time spent on holiday as quickly as possible. Often it takes less than a week for any relaxation derived from the holiday to be but a distant memory.

Let's look at decisions that can be taken to manage post-holiday blues as the first day back to work fast approaches.

- Prioritize and deal with the most urgent matters first. It can be tempting to try to be updated on everything that has happened during the holiday, but prioritising helps a more systematic and constructive approach to work take place.

- Be disciplined about eating healthily, taking breaks, drinking water, minimising coffee intake, exercise. All these are about putting yourself on your agenda. Looking after yourself means that you pause from time to time, keep your head clear, perhaps exchange a friendly few words with colleagues. Life is about fun, being sociable and enjoying what you're doing as well as achieving good results in work.

- Schedule in things to look forward to. Don't put off implementing those plans that seemed a good idea whilst you were on holiday. Arrange a weekend to meet up with the people you met whilst you were away, organise the dinner party with friends that you realise has been postponed several times due to work, perhaps even start planning your next break.

Remember the saying that no one ever said on their deathbed that they wish they'd spent more time at work. Children grow up and leave home, neglected partners learn to become more independent. Work is important, but so is appreciating the other valuable parts of life, and that includes health and well-being too. Holidays are often a valuable part of stress management, re-evaluating life and spending quality time with loved ones.