After this weekend, the “official” danish industrial holiday is over, and everyday life is calling. We hope you have enjoyed the holiday and enjoyed relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family.
You may be one of those people who have been looking forward to the holidays this year because it comes after a long period with restrictions. If you are one of the last, it may be that you are among the 30 – 60% who are affected by “Post-Holiday Blues” after you return to work. – It is a kind of depression or condition where you have insomnia, low energy, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
There is not much research in the field, but there is agreement among experts that the lesser adrenaline is the biggest culprit. Princeton, NJ-based clinical psychologist Eileen Kennedy-Moore suggests that the sudden withdrawal of stress hormones after a significant event, be it a wedding or holiday, can have a considerable impact on our physical and psychological well-being. And combined with the brain’s attempts to restore order, while at the same time adjusting between different experiences, one gets an imbalance.
To avoid being in the state for a long time, or to avoid getting into it, you can advantageously focus on the following:
- Take care of yourself: Provide good sleep, exercise, and healthy food (do not let the delights of the holiday tempt you in everyday life). Get it into a routine; the faster it happens, the better.
- Plan and participate in social activities: There is no doubt that good and fun social activities significantly impact our well-being. By planning some of these activities, you also have something good to look forward to.
- Take it easy: Do not start with long to-do lists and long working days. Accept that it takes time before you are 100% up and running again.
- Look ahead towards those things you would like to achieve. Define small steps towards your targets and go after them. That will give you a small kick of Dopamine.
- In general: Keep focusing on the positive things every day. – It can not be said too often.
Get a good start, there is less than half a year to Christmas.
