How to Avoid the Post-Vacation Blues - The Muse

How to Avoid the Post-Vacation Blues - The MuseHow to Avoid the Post-Vacation BluesYoure away for the week, soaking up some sun in Florida. Or, hiking in the Rockies. Or, exploring the streets of Rome. Everythings going great, until the last day of vacation rolls around and you remember what awaits you.Work. Everyone, at some point or another, has felt that pit in their stomach as they realized their vacation fun welches coming to an end- and that theyd have to return to the office. Most of the time this feeling is normal. But when is it not? When is this anxiety a sign that somethings wrong or needs to change in your career?I spoke with Dr. David Ballard, Director of the American Psychological Associations Center for Organizational Excellence, whos studied this exact phenomenon. In the organizations 2018 Work and Well-Being Survey, Ballard and his team tapped into how US workers approach vacation We wanted to look at the psychological aspects of it- how it relates to job stress, and what differences we see when people come back from vacation and how long they last.What he found, as you may know from reading other Muse articles, is that a majority of people do benefit from time off. When they return theyre less stressed, they feel more motivated, and their work quality and productivity is better.But on the downside, for almost two-thirds of US workers, those positive effects went away within a few days of coming back to work, he adds.The survey highlights even more 21% said they feel tense or stressed out while on vacationand 42% reported that they dread returning to work.This is obviously a problem. Whats the point of a vacation when, despite the upsides, were still likely to be stressed during it and even more likely to lose all that weve gained once its over? And, how can we use this information to improve how we take time off?Ballard says Research shows that when people come back to work and theres a mountain of work waiting for themthen those gains they ma de dissipate even fasterif you start worrying about that as your vacation wraps up, its eating into the recovery experienceits pulling you back into work when youre supposed to be still destressing and recovering.So, what can you do with this knowledge? Ballard says it comes down to these three crucial stepsPlanning aheadGetting stress recovery experiences while on vacationEasing back into workLets dive into what each one of those steps means. Planning AheadYou need to really have a concrete plan for what needs to be covered while youre out- whos going to pick up the extra work, what tasks need to be covered versus what can wait, making sure your team has clear expectations about your availability, he says. (This checklist can be helpful in tracking all you have to get done before you go.)This preparation alone immediately gets rid of the vacation guilt you might have. The more prep you give your team, the easier you can relax knowing nothing will go to hell while youre out. It also ensures you come back with a to-do list that feels more manageable (and less stressful to think about on vacation). Getting Stress Recovery Experiences While On VacationThen, when youre actually away, unplugWe know from the research that to recover from stress, to really rechargeyou need time periods when youre not working, but also when youre not thinking about work, states Ballard. Engage in some form of relaxation (reading a good book or meditating, for example) as well as something stimulating but not work-related (like hiking or exploring a new city) - both are key for stress recovery.Many of us have the experience in which you come back from a really busy vacation where you planned lots of activities and you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. So make sure youre sleeping enough and taking care of yourself, all of the things we know we need to do but most of us are not great at, he adds.Easing Back Into WorkWhen you return, dont just leap back into the grind. The reality is that youre not going to be your most productive self right away- and trying to will only decrease the effects of your relaxing trip. departure off with small tasks, like checking email or completing easy wins, and take plenty of breaks, including lunch (and read this article and this one).One more thing worth mentioning is that vacations can only do so much for us. Sure, theyre great, but if you expect them to solve all your work-related problems- If I just go away for a week Ill come back and everything will be fine- youre going to be disappointed.Its also important to find times during your normal work week or normal work day to engage in stress recovery behaviorsits unrealistic to expect that if youre taking a vacation every six months that can tide you over very well, states Ballard. So, its up to you to find ways to rest and recharge on a regular basis so that you dont rely on vacations alone.