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5 Tips to Beat End of Holiday Anxiety

After a holiday break, especially in summer, it is very common to go through a change in our mood. It usually starts during our last day of vacation, when we pack our things, we start thinking about our job again, and we say goodbye to friends and family that we shared our carefree moments with. And in the following weeks we tend to feel anxious, irritable, depressed and we can’t sleep properly.

If this is exactly what you are going through in these first weeks of September, here are 5 tips provided by expert psychologists, that can help you deal with the end-of-holiday anxiety, also known as holiday blues.

1. How to recognise End of Holiday Anxiety

First things first: we need to learn how to recognise our anxiety if we want to defeat it. When we realise that we have a poor quality of sleep, when we are more susceptible and nervous, when we always complain about our job and the people around us, we should immediately find a solution.

Anxiety breaks all our balance, starting with sleep. If you can’t sleep, try reducing screen time before bedtime, taking a warm bath or drinking a herbal tea. Another help can come from physical activity, which can help regulate our body. Finally, the most important point is to identify the source of your stress and anxiety; if you can identify the cause, be it work, your home routine or return to an overwhelming schedule, you will be in the condition of actively working towards reducing it and/or changing the way you let it affect you.

end of holiday anxiety

2. Fix some Goals   end holiday anxiety

Another good method is to fix one or more specific goals for you to work on, aside from work. Psychologists say that we need to beat routine-related fatigue by carrying on projects that run parallel to our everyday life. For example, if you know we will have 3-4 months of work in a row ahead, you could take this time to plan your next trip after then. This can provide you with a lighter, happier alternative to work which will provide relief, give you a feeling that the stressful period will come to an end, and also give you something to look forward to.

3. Test Yourself in New Experiences

Back to normal life, family, house, work, deadlines. The anxiety of the routine is in the routine itself. Find something new, out of the box. The idea of starting, to test ourselves in something never done before can liven up our days and create a diversion. For example, you can learn a language, cook desserts, take a sommelier course etc.

4. Talk to your Partner end holiday anxiety

Talking about your anxiety to your partner or to friends can be really useful, as this allows you to lighten the load of stress. Your partner and friends can be of great support in helping you face what stresses you in going back to your everyday routine. Also, if you keep it all for yourself and let the short temper take over, this is bound to harm your relationships.

after holiday blues

5. Social? No thank you

Once work is over, try turning off your smartphone and laptop. If you are suffering from anxiety, you need to give yourself time to relax. You can do this through meditation, yoga, reading a book, or dedicating time to your favorite hobby, but not through social media. Anxiety cannot be contrasted if you’re constantly “connected” to emails, Instagram or facebook. Moreover, the exposure to blue light emitted by electronic devices has been shown to be disruptive on sleep patterns. This in itself is a good reason to avoid your smartphone or computer after dinner.

Allow Yourself more time to Relax end holiday anxiety

Taking a break from time to time is essential. Try to plan a few short weekend breaks often during the year, instead of concentrating all your time away in longer holidays every six or seven months. Introduce escapes from the city, even if it is only during weekends: they will regenerate you. Feeding your well-being through small spaces of relax time that are entirely dedicated to you, will prove to be very useful in the long term.

Get help if things don’t improve

Anxiety is classified as an “adaptive” emotion. However, it can become an issue if it continues for long periods of time. If you feel anxious often and in multiple situations, even and especially when there is no real danger in its own right, your anxiety might have become pathological and you should seek for professional help.

Medelit’s chartered psychologists offer support through home and online counselling, and can help you recognise your triggers and deal with the problem through a range of techniques aimed at reducing and better dealing with anxiety.

We also provide home-based Acupuncture, which is one of the most effective solutions to treat anxiety problems. The acupuncture needles work on points in the body that will send a message to your brain for it to release endorphins. Endorphins have the capability of inducing structural changes in the amigdala, an area of the brain that is involved in the management of anxiety and fear.

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