Singin' the blues?
By: Barbara Bowes
Date: August 22, 2009
There is always a lot of talk about "post-vacation blues" when we come to the end of our breaks; but hey, how about experiencing the blues while you are on vacation?
After all, no one plans to enjoy only one day of sun and then experience three to five days of rain! What's going on with this weather? It's enough to drive someone to experience "vacation blues."
At the same time, the fast-changing weather has made me think about the importance of creating one's own happiness and not allowing external events to ruin whatever vacation plans you've made. It's all in our attitude. And, it's all in our ability to be flexible and to build flexibility into our plans.
The best way to build flexibility into your plans is to have a list of two or three activities you would like to participate in during a day and/or a week. If circumstances change, you can simply change the schedule while at the same time still have the opportunity to engage in the activities you had initially planned. That is, of course, unless you have tickets to a rock concert that has been cancelled. In this case, you have to examine the purpose of your activity -- what pleasure were you seeking and how can you find this same pleasure in another activity that you can quickly plan?
Yet I must admit that returning to work from a vacation can be quite stressful. It takes at least three days to get back into the pace of things. It's somewhat strange that you've arrived at your work feeling refreshed; happy to see your colleagues again and anxious to check out what's happened while you were gone, but by the end of the day you go home absolutely exhausted. It feels as though you have never been on vacation.
Yes, the post-vacation blues are indeed real. Some people suffer more than others and in addition to being tired, they might also feel depressed and then surprised and angry that they feel that way.
Most of the advice given to help sufferers of post-vacation blues focuses strongly on the "getting ready" part of the vacation. They suggest that planning is the key; pay your bills, have someone look after the house, cancel your newspaper and have someone pick up the mail. At work, be sure to delegate key tasks, let customers or clients know you are away and leave the BlackBerry at home. This advice may be all well and good but many people still suffer the blues. So, let's take a quick look at what you can do after the vacation to reduce the stress of returning to work and get rid of those "post-vacation blues":
Give yourself a personal day - Try to return from vacation on a weekend so that you have some down time for yourself. Don't plan for anything -- just relax. Read a book, watch a movie, have a nap. Send the kids to grandma.
Call a colleague - Everyone has a good friend at work. Give them a call so that you can get a "heads-up" on what has happened at work. Your call will also give you an opportunity to share your vacation; everyone is interested in where you went and what you did.
Visit the workplace - Take some time toward the end of the weekend to visit the workplace and have a chance to look around. Limit your visit to one hour to size things up and determine what you are returning to. This will ease your mind and allow you to begin to priorize without any pressure.
Arrive early - Make an effort to come in to your workplace early for the specific purpose of visiting with your colleagues. Meet as many people as you can, share your holiday ventures, show photos and leave them in the staff room for all to see. Check in with others who have also been on vacation.
Go out for lunch - Take a friend for lunch on the first day so that you can continue sharing and reminiscing about your vacation. Catch up on company news.
Post a photo near your worksite - Enlarge one of your favourite holiday photos and place it near your worksite -- on your desk, on your computer, wherever -- so that you can glance at it periodically during the day. If you have brought a memento of your vacation, you might also think of bringing this to work. Pleasant memories help to reduce any stress you might feel.
Take a walk - Instead of sitting in the staff or coffee room, use your break to take get outside. Plan to use one or more of your lunch hours to take a walk. Enjoy the green trees, the birds and the bees -- take pleasure in the beauty of our surroundings.
Manage your schedule - During the first week of your return, limit the number of larger meetings you attend. Instead, meet one on one with people, particularly those to whom you delegated work. Concentrate on updating yourself on activities that have occurred during your absence. Ease yourself into the stresses related to working with multiple personalities, needs and wants.
Ease into priorities - Once you have checked in with employees or colleagues who were assigned delegated work, you are ready to develop your list of priority activities. Plan to complete the less complex work first and then move onto projects that are more complex. This will help you move into thinking mode more quickly.
Plan for a steady catch-up - If you try to catch up all of your activities within the first week, you'll be exhausted. Stop right now and be sure to pace yourself. Nothing can be that urgent. After all, if it wasn't looked after while you were away, it can wait a few more days.
Delegate, delegate, delegate - Just as you were able to delegate work prior to your vacation, there will be plenty on your desk that you can now delegate once you are back. In some cases, you might need to ask a colleague for help. Go ahead, that's teamwork!
Avoid overwork - Coming back from vacation is bad enough, but if you begin "burning the midnight oil" -- staying late to finish work -- then you are simply doing yourself, your family and your employer an injustice. Your tiredness won't wear off, it will only accumulate.
I'm sure there are some people who continue to think that post-vacation blues are simply a figment of someone's imagination. But those who experience it know to be true. While it is typically not a lingering syndrome, it is indeed a mental-health issue that needs to receive some personal attention. So, when you are planning your vacation, plan for your return and integration into the workplace as well.
Barbara J. Bowes, is president of Legacy Bowes Group a leading HR and executive search firm. She is also author of three books and host of the weekly BowesKnows radio show. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
