Post-Holiday Syndrome, Ready For It?

Did you enjoy a well-planned and fulfilling holiday? But some might have a hard time after the holiday based on their previous experience. One of our students said that she suffered from this almost every week, “I just tend to lose myself and stay up late during holidays and weekends, so adjusting to school life again is always tough for me.” Guess many of us will feel real empathy for her. And again the holiday is coming to an end, has it got you down already?

Going back to university after a long holiday, some students may feel slouchy or even nauseous when thinking about having to get back into the boring routine again. And what’s worse, staying up late at night while dropping off in class is definitely the worst nightmare for a student. Actually we have a specific definition for the situation mentioned above – post-holiday syndrome or post-holiday blues. In general, the syndromes will wear off over time but never underestimateit or you will suffer a lot. Confronted with this situation, we have prepared some tips for students at GDUFS to overcome the post-holiday syndrome.

For starters, go to bed earlier at night for the first few days. The saying “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise” is an invariable truth. Exhaustion is unavoidable after such a long holiday whether you have travelled or not. Hence sleeping a bit more than usual bulks large. Lights are off at 10:50 pm for most dormitory buildings so try to go to bed half an hour earlier. When every cell in your body gets enough rest, you’ll wake up feeling rested and refreshed.

Second and also the simplest way is to get a cup of coffee. No one can ever deny the powerful effect that it has on us. A cup of coffee in the morning can surely lift your spirits up. There are at least three coffee shops affiliated to the work-study program at GDUFS. So why not wake up a few minutes earlier and find the nearest one to grab a cup of coffee? It won’t cost you much and can keep your head clear for the rest of the day.

Third, give yourself something new to look forward to. Instead of dwelling upon the past holiday, revive the excitement of anticipation by attending some interesting activities, setting a new goal for yourself to seek desire for hard work or even start planning for your next holiday. Just do something that interests you the most and indulge in, which can speed up the process of getting over your past holiday memories.

Forth, clean up your diet. Some say holidays are all about eating and indulging. And yes, the former part – overeating – is possibly the major reason why you feel physically uncomfortable afterwards. It has been proven that food is closely related to our moods and thus a healthy diet after holiday is apparently essential. Bland food like porridge and vegetables is your best choice if you care for a healthy and light diet. Take a firm stand and say no to junk food.

Lastly, if the holiday blues have really got you down and none of the advice mentioned above is effective, feel free to talk to your mentor or visit the psychological consultation room on campus. Severe Post-Holiday Syndrome can even lead to depression and speaking out about it can greatly ease your anxiety.

The holiday season is an emotional roller coaster and stepping off at the end can leave you with a case of psychological whiplash. After all, recovering from the Post-Holiday Syndrome is actually a process of regaining healthy moods and peace of mind. Just take it step by step and everything will be back on track sooner or later!