Depression after Vacation is a sometimes overlooked but serious topic. The sadness and gloominess that encompasses one’s mood when he returns from a vacation, is often referred to as post-vacation blues. There are several other names that define this feeling, for example, you might be familiar with other popular terms, such as post-holiday blues, after-holiday depression, etc. However, no matter what term we may use, all of them define the same drained and overwhelmed feeling. This is especially the case when one has been out for a longer period of time.
Dealing with Depression after Vacation Tips
People find it difficult to adjust back to the old, monotonous routine that they had before their vacation. The sense of freedom that they enjoyed so much, evades, leaving them in a depressed state. Nevertheless, since there is a solution to every problem that exists, this depression is also not incurable. If you are one of those suffering from depression after vacation, read the article below, for they identify ten (10) highly effective tips to deal with it:
1. Manage Your Restlessness
When on a trip, especially that of a foreign land, one experiences the blow of immense cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity. He gets exposed to various eye-opening things and partakes in several tiresome, exhausting, yet excitable activities.
Most of the time, several of these activities occur in only one day. So when the person returns to his old routine, the lack of adventure and the lack of interesting events make him feel overwhelmed with sadness and, to a certain extent, depression. Therefore, what one can do is plan smaller trips for every day, explore one’s neighborhood, etc. This way, settling into the old routine would become easier and it’s one of the most effective ways to deal with depression after vacation.
2. Become More Active
When people go on a trip, they often realize that they are not as fit as they would like to be. This is particularly the case when the vacation is at a destination that offers rigorous physical activity, e.g. a mountainous topographical land. However, when they spend some time in those areas, and indulge themselves in laborious activities, like hiking, for instance, they tend to feel fitter and begin to like the feeling.
If you are one of those people, you can use this sentiment to drive yourself out of the blues. Joining a gym, or making an exercise schedule, can be an excellent way to become healthier in terms of physical fitness. Moreover, this will also help you prepare yourself for future trips.
3. Clean Your House
After living in two to three hotel rooms simultaneously, one tends to feel more disconnected from his home and eventually experiences depression after vacation. Everything begins to feel strangely unfamiliar. What you can do in this circumstance is to re-familiarize yourself. One way to go about this is cleaning. Several pieces of research have proven that cleaning imparts positive effects on human psychology, allowing people to feel more in control of their lives and releasing mental stress. Not only this but also one can develop a physical and emotional bond with the area due to this activity.
If you want, and if your budget allows, you can also go for a simple renovation of your residency. It would be better if you opt for easy DIYs. This will help you develop a stronger bond with your surroundings.
4. Start a New Hobby
As aforementioned, people tend to get depressed out of boredom, due to the lack of exciting available things to do in their everyday routine. Moreover, because of the abundance of free time, one finds it difficult to rid himself of negative thoughts. One best way to cope up with the depression after vacation is to adopt a new hobby. This would allow the depressed to channel his energy positively, in a place he or she prefers.
5. Give Yourself Some Time
It is understandable that not everyone can afford the luxury to choose not to return to his old, monotonous 9 to 5 routine; however, those who can do so should definitely go for it. Allowing oneself some time to get comfortable with home again can really help deal with the depression after vacation. If this is not possible, then try to plan your vacation such that it ends on a Friday, so that you at least have the weekend for yourself.
6. Meet Old Friends, Make New Friends
When on a vacation, one meets so many new and different people, a lot of belonging to different ethnicities. The flavor of these new friendships is often missed when one comes back and finds an evident lack of diversity. However, one can realize that every person is different from the other, and within a single community, one can find several types of people. If you are aching for the friends you made abroad, try making new friends back at home. Also, plan hangouts with your old friends and acquaintances. This way, you can effectively deal with your depression after vacation quickly.
7. Plan Your Next Trip
Planning prospective trips is one interesting way of taking yourself out of depression after vacation. What you can do is to make plans, and collect ideas as to what your future vacation must be like. List out preferences, chart the destinations you would like to visit and note the things you would like to experience next. This is one of the best ways to cope with your stress and depression after vacation.
8. Printing or Organizing Your Photos
The pictures one takes when abroad on a trip are memorable collections. One can always revisit them for fond memories. Therefore, make sure you develop your photographs and place them in an album. Even if you don’t want to place them in an album, print them and put them on your wall for everlasting memories. If you prefer, upload them to the cloud and organize them in easy-to-find folders of your various trips.
9. Plant Your Souvenirs
Hopefully, our readers have had the opportunity to review the popular How to Find the Best Souvenirs While on Vacation article. One is bound to bring back home some souvenirs from the place he visited. Find a spot in your home to prop those items up. Make sure they are in a place that is well visible so that you can always look upon them. Just make sure you store them in a safe place away from small children or inquisitive house guests.
10. Maintain Your Travel Blog
Many people tend to run travel blogs and penning down their travel stories. If you are experiencing depression after vacation, maintaining your travel blog is the best way to deal with it. Maintain your blog even when you have come back, and use it to help other travelers. These personal experiences and travel tips will make you feel important and needed.
FAQs
Why do I feel weird after coming home from vacation?
Well, the reasons why you feel out of place at home are all psychological. When you are on a vacation, you are relaxed and happy. You are also constantly distracted by the events around you. This is a very different behaviour and mindset that you have in your everyday life. When you return home and try to go back to your daily routines, your mind and body don’t want to conform to the old routines. This is why you feel weird and disturbed. The solution to this problem is to take frequent breaks from your routine. You can take a one or two day vacation every week and you will feel much better.
Why are you sad after vacation?
When you enjoy something, it feels absolutely amazing. From the biggest treat you get from a vacation to the smallest joy of owning a great pair of shoes. But after the fun is over, you go back to your real life, and the fun you had during your vacation, becomes a fading memory.
What is post-holiday syndrome?
Post-holiday syndrome refers to the mood of melancholy and depression that many people feel after the Christmas, New Year celebrations and even after trips. In fact, this type of “syndrome” can be easily noticed in people who are always energetic and on the go but who now seem unusually tired and irritable. In this context, “syndrome” means a group of symptoms that occur together. Unfortunately, post-holiday syndrome is not a medical condition, but it is an actual experience.