Beyond the horizon, the specter of the new school year and the time to return to the professional routine. Returning from vacation is a constant element, somewhat destabilizing our sense of balance at work — in addition, there is the return of students to classes, and we are not yet quite able to imagine a normal working week. Pourlop stress syndrome can affect us all and make the “switch” to “work” mode cause delays in taking on new professional challenges and a real deterioration in our well-being. How to deal with these transitional moments, so as not to avoid difficult emotions, at the same time make yourself the so-called “soft landing” after the holidays?

Summer stress syndrome

In 2023, on behalf of Fitbit, Ipsos carried out a study, culminating in the report “Holiday Stress of Poles 2023”. According to the analysis, as many as 80% of us feel stress in the form of nervousness before leaving (the so-called. travel fiber, that is, pre-trip fever). What most influences the feeling of holiday stress, according to the study: expenses related to the trip, the uncertainty of the weather, the need to choose the direction of travel, your own appearance (13%!) , as well as the pressure to go somewhere.

All this makes the holidays begin to be full of tension and even if we already start to rest at the end of the vacation, it is the harbinger of work after the vacation that makes the feeling of satisfaction and relaxation from the vacation not at all as great as we might expect.

It is also worth paying attention to the broader context of stress felt by Poles in general. Ipsos Health Service 2024 has published a study that shows that Poles are a nation in which stress quite strongly affects mental well-being.

As many as 45% of Poles say that they have experienced it several times in the last year — for comparison, the percentage in the world is 33%. The experience of stress also results in a negative impact on our work. 35% of Polish respondents admitted that their stress level exceeded such a level that they were unable to go to work for some time. Almost every fifth respondent (19%) experienced such a condition several times.

It turns out that in the context of holidays, which increasingly mean a race for more experiences, we often mistakenly assume that planning a multi-stage trip can turn out to be more stressful for us than a quiet rest at home.

As psychologist Joanna Pałek tells Polish Radio:

The best example is another monument from the list of those that must be seen. Before we “pass” it, it is worth considering why we are doing this. Because if we are motivated only by what we read in the guide or heard from friends, and we ourselves do not feel like it at all, then why force ourselves. Sometimes just slowing down, that is, stopping the body, can do a lot of good for our psyche.

Does the length of vacation matter?

It turned out, thanks to the study Affetti di vacanza (dopo-) su tenduristà e benessere del lavoro, e il ruolo di attività di vacanze, esperienza e sogno, published in 2012 in Journal of Happiness Studiesthat the study was carried out on 54 workers assessing their health and well-being before their leave, three or four times during it and five times after returning to work. The average duration of leave was 23 days.

It turned out that long vacations regenerate employees much better than short-term ones, the effect of which is superficial and certainly does not last long. Above all, the health and well-being index rose rapidly during the holidays, peaking on the eighth day — but within the first week after returning to work, it rapidly returned to baseline.

How to take care of your wellbeing?

Experts in psychology emphasize that the key principle of returning from vacation to reality at work is to plan not only vacation, but also return from vacation. Small gestures made by us in favor of routine or entering “work” mode make stress more tame and less dramatic.

In order to avoid a pourlop shock, it is worth preparing for at least an orderly workplace or starting with a simple pleasure, which usually, during a normal working period, makes us feel better about ourselves - it can be preparing a meal or coffee or a set of exercises.

However, going deeper into facing school or professional responsibilities “face to face”, it is good to ask yourself the three most important things to do. A long list of “to do” is more of a “deterrent” than something to help us sort our thoughts. Switching from “vacation” to “work” mode, while serving yourself shock therapy, is hardly the best idea.

In the end, it is also worth remembering, especially when we already know the data on the stress felt during the holidays, that planning a vacation should involve a rest that we enjoy. If organization and adrenaline make it the way to recover — why not? However, if we prefer a quiet all inclusive, because work requires so much organizational effort from us, there is no point in forcibly choosing something that would make us remember the holiday more as a nightmare than a meaningful rest.

Sources:

1. https://www.benefitsystems.pl/pl/artykul/miekkie_ladowanie_po_urlopie_jak_wrocic_do_pracy_z_nowa_energia
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-012-9345-3
3. https://www.medonet.pl/zdrowie/zdrowie-dla-kazdego/wakacyjny-stres-polakow/vlmtfq1
4. https://www.polskieradio.pl/10/10333/artykul/3395480,summer-stress-syndrome-kiedy-urlop-staje-sie-udreka
5. https://www.ipsos.com/pl-pl/spoleczenstwo-w-stresie-raport-o-zdrowiu-psychicznym-w-polsce
6. https://politykazdrowotna.com/artykul/51-proc-polakow-wraca-n2407831?srsltid=AfmBOop0yFYr5Mc_xEzDY3eOaH7j7onu7NpN0hilgWePKG5NMpKNuEZ9