This Is Italy
Many of you will recognize it. The dip after the holidays. You come back from sunny Italy and you have to go back to work in the rainy Netherlands or Flanders. That sometimes gives you a feeling of homesickness, a somewhat sad feeling that is also known as the holiday blues. What can you do now to prevent such an after-holiday dip?
No less than 83 percent of holidaymakers indicate that they have a dip when they return to work after their holiday.
It actually makes sense. One minute you're sipping a Aperol Spritz in the sun on a medieval terrace. The next moment the rain is splashing against the window of your fluorescent-lit office in that drab industrial estate.
Holiday blues formula
There even seems to be a formula with which you can calculate how much you suffer from the dip after the holidays. It has everything to do with job satisfaction, plus the relationship with your colleagues and multiplied by your (im)possibilities to relax.
For some, the dip starts even before they go back to work. They indicate that they already get a sad feeling when they 'only have a few more days to go' on holiday.
Already on the plane back
Others are ambushed as soon as they get on the plane home. Research shows that the average vacationer already has the blues 6,21 hours after the plane lands. Unless the pilot on the plane already announces that the weather at home is '8 degrees, overcast and rainy'. In that case, the holiday blues kick in immediately.
But for most, the dip doesn't really kick in until the first day of work. One in 9 calls in sick. Because you have time during the holidays to think about your work, there is a chance that you no longer see it at all. Relationships also suffer from the same problem.
Back in the grind
Many people find it difficult to return to everyday reality. 76 percent say they will be at the same stress level as before the holiday within a week, despite the intention to do things differently.
Yet most people manage to get back into the old rhythm after a few days. To actually break with familiar things like your job and your partner is for many a step too far.
Preventing the holiday blues
So how do we avoid the holiday blues? First, we should not place too much importance on the holiday itself. After all, it is rarely what we imagine it to be. We're going to idealize it afterwards.
From research of Applied Research In Quality Of Life it turns out that the 8 weeks before your holiday provide a greater feeling of happiness than your holiday itself. It is therefore important to book your holiday as early as possible.
The best remedy for a dip after the holidays: book a new one right away!
What do you do to get through those first difficult days after your Italy vacation? We'd love to hear your personal tips!
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Comments