Psychology
The post-holiday blues are a common problem, but they can easily be lightened by planning something new, from a dinner party to an exercise goal.
The post-holiday blues are a common problem, but they can easily be lightened by planning something new, from a dinner party to an exercise goal.
The Olympics snuck up on me. I knew they were coming, but not exactly when. And, to be fair, it was a rather odd Olympics, given our global situation. But I got into it by the second week, although the free-to-air coverage seemed deliberately designed to push me to sign up to Sky (I didn’t). It almost became a wee routine: get home, turn on the Olympics, make dinner.
Now it’s over and I feel that odd emptiness that you sometimes get the day after the school holidays end and the kids return to their classes, or when the last vestiges of Christmas leftovers have either been eaten or consigned to the rubbish.
Spare a thought for Olympians themselves, coming down from the high of competing at those most vexed of Games only to go into managed isolation. For South Australian competitors, that mental health challenge was doubly difficult, as a they were made to do a further 14 days’ isolation at home after 14 days ini quarantine hotels in Sydney. As ifi the normal post-event let-down wasn’tw enough, the “deeply flawed” decision by the South Australian Government posed a risk to the physical and mental well-being of the athletes, said the Australian team’s chief medical officer, David Hughes. Australian Olympic Committee head Matt Carroll called the decision “cruel and uncaring treatment”.
For ordinary folk, even returning from a holiday can provoke that empty feeling. Research shows that,
Health and wellbeing hit a high a week into a vacation but drop back to “normal” about a week after it ends.
on average, health and well-being hit a high a week into a vacation but drop back to “normal” about a week after it ends. There are numerous reasons for this post-holiday funk.
One reason is that holidays are usually stimulating, even if only because they’re not “regular life”. We have fun, whether that’s an adrenaline-packed activity such as ziplining or lounging by a pool or on a beach. Our brains like fun, they release all manner of chemicals that tell us we’re feeling good, and that can be quite addictive.
But then the holiday comes to an end and almost overnight the source of that dopamine rush is gone. Even worse, we’re back at work on Monday.
People who experience depression benefit from the activity and distraction that come with holidays, but they may feel even more intensely sad when the party ends. And we generally look forward to holidays – or, for sports fans, the Olympics – so the enervation or distraction is longer than the actual event and, again, this makes that absence of stimulation greater.
If you do want to set a goal, make a plan and tell someone about it – you are statistically more likely to achieve that goal if you do these two simple things.
This feeling of loss is natural, and some therapists will suggest that just knowing why we feel this way is a good start in dealing with it. Just as we quickly get used to having fun, we can also get used to its absence, or we can actively deal with it.
If the post-holiday blues reflect a loss of something, fill that space with something else. I find that it’s quite easy, particularly after (in pre-Covid days) a mid-winter holiday somewhere warm, to spend a week on the couch watching TV. It may provide a distraction, but it may not enhance mood as effectively as, say, getting outside for a halfhour walk or some gardening – researchers say the walk must be at least half an hour or it won’t have that mood-enhancing benefit. Then you can sit down for a binge-watch.
If anticipation of your holiday helped stimulate you, then start planning something else. It doesn’t have to be the next trip, particularly given our current border uncertainties. It could be a dinner party. Set a goal or commit to something new.
I’m not suggesting you should do this, but I picked up a Palestinian cookbook last year and we themed our family Christmas meal around it. Everybody got a photocopy of a recipe and we all learnt something new. Small invigorating distractions can be useful.
Ever wanted to learn te reo Māori? Make jewellery? Explore the family history? If you do want to set a goal, make a plan and tell someone about it – you are statistically more likely to achieve it if you do these two simple things. In short, what do you enjoy? Well, do some of that! l