Post-vacation blues

Post-vacation blues (Canada and US), post-holiday blues (UK, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries), vacation/holiday blues or post-travel depression (PTD) is a type of mood that persons returning home from a long trip (usually a vacation) may experience.[1]

Post-vacation blues
Other namesPost-holiday blues
SymptomsTiredness, loss of appetite, nostalgia, depression
CausesReturning home or to a normal routine from a long vacation
TreatmentTime
Frequency57% of travellers

Background

A person may suffer from post vacation blues after returning home or to a normal routine from a long vacation, especially if it was a pleasurable one.[2][3] The longer a trip lasts, the more intense the post vacation blues may be. This is because after the person returns home, they realize how boring and unsatisfactory their normal lifestyle routine is when compared to the activities they did while on their holiday/vacation. It is easier to overcome/adjust to a normal routine the shorter the trip was. Post vacation blues may result in tiredness, loss of appetite, strong feelings of nostalgia, and in some cases, depression. Jet lag may intensify the post vacation blues.[4]

According to an article in The Mirror, 57% of British travellers reported experiencing post-holiday blues.[5]

Treatment

In general, post vacation blues will wear off over time.[1] It usually takes a few days, but in extreme cases the mood can last for several weeks before wearing off. Faster ways of treating post vacation blues are for the person to share their experiences with family and friends, or to look at photos and souvenirs. Some may find comfort in re-living their holiday/vacation experiences; for example, if one really enjoyed jet-skiing during their holiday, they may purchase their very own jet-ski for personal use. Another well known method of curing post vacation blues is to plan or book the next vacation, this offers a distraction and also provides the person something to look forward to.

Similar moods
  • Post-Christmas blues
  • Monday blues – may be experienced by persons after weekends.
  • Post-party blues – may be experienced by persons after an enjoyable party or nightlife experience, not to be confused with a hangover, which can have similar psychological effects due to high alcohol intake.
  • New employee apathy/Freshman apathy
  • Spring fever
  • In Japan, a phenomenon known as gogatsu-byou (五月病,　literally "May sickness") leaves some people feeling depressed a month after they started a new school year or new job, as their expectations were not met.[6]

See also

References
  1. "After Vacation: Tips to Bounce Back Fast". WebMD.
  2. "HuffPost is now part of Oath". HuffPost is now part of Oath. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  3. Dana McMahan. "Do well-needed vacations actually bum us out?". NBC News.
  4. Dillner, Luisa (19 May 2013). "How do you recover from jet lag?". the Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  5. Lillywhite, Octavia (3 September 2017). "5 ways to beat post-holiday blues, according to an expert". The Mirror. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  6. Abe, Namiko. "Gogatsu byou – May Sickness". ThoughtCo. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
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