Getting Back Your Groove

Feeling Bittersweet

As the year ends, you may have gone on vacation or are currently on one. Despite the excitement that comes with going on vacation, sometimes what many feel instead is bittersweet. Going back to work right after your vacation can lead to many feeling lost, or even down. What you might be feeling has been termed in Factorial as “Post Vacation Syndrome" (PVS). PVS is often seen in workers who have just returned after a long vacation. These workers tend to experience difficulty concentrating on their work and a general lack of focus. This results in a decrease in productivity, as well as workers spending all their time looking forward to their next vacation and not on their work. Below, we will share some tips from both Factorial and CNN.

Getting over PVS

Set Small Goals

One way to prevent yourself from feeling PVS in the first place is to set small goals for the first few days back at work. Not jumping right back into the grind helps you get back into the flow of work more naturally. If you have a lot of work to catch up on, don’t feel the need to instantly dive right back in, as this will quickly lead to you burning out. Ease yourself back into work and you’ll find yourself not constantly looking forward to your next vacation.

Reconnect With Friends & Family

After being away for a while, you may miss your friends and family. Reconnecting with them allows you to feel like work is not all you came back to, but you also came back to your loved ones. This provides a perspective change that the end of your vacation isn’t a negative thing, but a positive one as well.

Recognise the Balance

In order to enjoy your vacation, work is required for you to have the ability to enjoy it. Recognising that will help you to not only enjoy your vacation more but give you motivation as well in your work. Having balance in your life also applies when your vacation ends, ensuring that you still have things you enjoy doing while not on vacation is also important. Learn to still enjoy your time even when not on vacation as work should not be all you are living for.

Stay Physically Healthy

While exercise will help with the couple of KGs you might have put on during vacation, exercise is an important part of your life. Studies have shown that exercise helps to combat anxiety and depression, as well as being all-around good for your health. Sticking to an exercise routine or schedule also helps to build discipline, ensuring that you are able to stay focused while at work also. Another way exercise helps is that it shows how hard work produces results. This mirrors your work life as good work allows you to enjoy better vacations.

In conclusion, post-vacation blues is a common experience, but it can be prevented or overcome by setting small goals, reconnecting with loved ones, having balance in your life and staying active. By taking these steps, it is possible to enjoy the memories of the vacation and ease the transition back to everyday life. If you do need help with any of these steps or other work-related problems, NTUC is able to provide the relevant resources required to help you grow in the coming year.

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