10 tips to beat those post-holiday blues
The summer has now officially come to an end, and for most of us the holidays are over. Every time I return home (and back to work) from holidays (no matter how short or long), my mood and energy levels take a dip. Here are 10 tips that help me lift up my mood, beat those post-holiday blues, and get back on track as soon as possible:
Tip 1: Routines and structure
As a Psychiatrist, I cannot overemphasize the importance of having routines and a structure to one’s life. For this reason, I always encourage people to have routines and a structure to their days and weeks. Routines and structure are important because they provide a sense of security, familiarity, order and direction. They also help provide a sense of achievement (purpose), as well as enjoyment (pleasure). All these are essential ingredients for a happy and a balanced life.
My routine includes a combination of:
- work (mostly achievement),
- hobbies (that give mostly a sense of enjoyment),
- and exercise (enjoyment and achievement).
For example, on Tuesdays I start my day with a yoga class; in the evenings I go to the gym, and then come back home to watch the Great British Bake Off.
Tip 2: Watch a film
I usually return home on Sunday evenings. So, how do I spend the Mondays after a holiday? Do I go straight back home, once I finish work at 5? No! I may go to the cinema instead. Having been away for a week or two will probably mean there will be new films I want to watch.
Watching a film is generally one of my favorite activities, and provides me with that sense of enjoyment. It helps me escape from my own world and reality (and problems) and immerse myself into a different world. When I feel down (as it usually happens following a holiday), a film is a good way to distract myself, lift up my mood and beat those post-holiday blues.
Tip 3: Write
Having recently started this blog, my holidays no longer finish when I return home. Instead, as soon as I unpack, I start writing down my tips, and my experiences. I systematically go through my photographs, and all the material I’ve collected whilst on holiday (field notes I’ve kept, pamphlets and guides). This helps me reflect on and re-live my holiday experience, whilst at the same time I create something that my friends and readers may find inspiring, helpful and useful.
Check out my 2-week island-hopping holiday in the Cyclades, or my top tips on the islands I’ve visited: Santorini, Amorgos, Koufonisia and Mykonos.
Tip 4: Listen to music
Music is another passion of mine and I often use it to lift up my mood when I feel down. When I feel down, however, I am not in the mood to put a record on or listen to music. So, how do I break this vicious cycle?
First, I tell myself that listening to some music will probably make me feel better. Second, when I visit foreign countries, it is a good opportunity to discover new music. When I hear a song that I like and I don’t recognize, I use an app called Soundhound to identify what the song is and who the artist is. I can then (when I return home) listen to this song again and/or follow this artist on Spotify.
On some occasions, I may even buy some records whilst away on holiday. For example, during a trip in France last year, I bought records by 3 of my favorite French artists:
- Christine and the Queens (Chaleur Humaine – the French version of her brilliant debut album),
- Julien Dore (Love),
- and Indochine (Paradize).
Once I returned back to England, I listened to these records and I was soon back to my normal (happy) self.
Tip 5: Try out new recipes
For me, traveling is so much more than just visiting a new place, city or country, and taking beautiful pictures. It also provides me with the opportunity to try different (often exotic) cuisines, savor new ingredients, or go out to the places the locals go out to. It gives me the inspiration to become more adventurous in my own cooking, so soon after I return home, I start experimenting and trying out new recipes inspired by my travels.
Check out some recipes inspired by my recent holidays in Greece:
• Portokalopita (orange pie)
• Mykonos-inspired watermelon and feta salad, and watermelon and feta gazpacho soup
• Easy-to-make, nutritious & delicious kefir smoothies
Tip 6: Read a book
It is not only films that help me escape from my own world and reality (and problems) and immerse myself into a different world (tip 2). Reading a book can have the same effect. Paradoxically, I usually read more books when I am away on holidays, as I have more time not only whilst traveling (on the train, at the airport, or on the plane) but also once I have reached my destination (for example, my family home or on the beach). However, I always take more books with me than the ones I manage to read (sometimes I even buy books at the airport!). This momentum makes me more likely to continue reading once I am back from my holidays.
My friend and travel buddy Maria does something similar. She buys books relevant to the places we visit, and she reads them once she’s back (I usually do the opposite and read them before my trip). For example, when we recently went to Norway, she bought a couple of books by the brilliant Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø.
Do not forget to check out our 9-day itinerary, or to read about my favorite Scandinavian crime writers.
Tip 7: Make yourself a present
Receiving a present usually makes me feel happy and grateful. So, when I am on holidays, I usually buy little presents for my close friends. I also tend to be self-indulgent and make myself a present (or two). For example, during my recent holidays in Greece, I bought myself an anchor bracelet (which I’ve been constantly wearing since), and a little book called Words of Wisdom from Ancient Greece
Since we are on the subject of presents, I have recently created a monthly calendar with beautiful pictures of 12 Greek islands. You can buy a copy (or more) as a present to yourselves and your loved ones.
Tip 8: Meet a friend
An avid cinephile, I often go to the cinema by myself (tip 2). However, inviting a close friend to come along can make the whole experience a bit more social, and therefore even more pleasurable. The film may be preceded or followed by catching up over dinner and a few drinks, and it also provides a perfect opportunity to give them the gifts I’d bought for them (tip 6).
Tip 9: Plan the next holiday
When I was a little boy, I used to go on summer holidays abroad with my family. Once we returned back home, my parents would take the globe and maps and start planning the following year’s holiday.
Now, I am no longer able to take long summer holidays; instead, I often go on short city breaks to European capitals. Some people claim that taking frequent short breaks is better than one long holiday and short breaks make people happier than one long holiday. Either way, I still feel down after a holiday. What helps me, however, (along with all the other tips and strategies I’m sharing here) is planning my next holiday or break. This keeps me busy with doing something exciting, productive (sense of achievement) and pleasurable (sense of enjoyment). Sometimes, I actually plan it whilst I’m still on holiday, so when I’m back I can start counting down the days.
Tip 10: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened
I love this phrase, and even though it may not be one-size-fits-all, I think it is perfectly OK to say it after a holiday. It reminds me that I should be grateful for having traveled, enjoyed myself and lived an amazing experience!
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I’m looking forward to hearing about other people’s tips on how to beat these post-holiday blues.
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)
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