Is There a Cure for the Vacation Blues?

So you are back to work after a well earned and much longed for break. How are you feeling? Energised and raring to go or longing to rush back to your lounger? If you are finding it difficult to get back into the swing of things then you may have a case of the holiday blues. Looking for a cure? Here are the two remedies The Change Agent prescribes.

1. Bring the beach to the office:

If only this was what “working from home” looked like!

When we go away for a couple of weeks it is amazing how quickly we develop little routines.  Cycling into the village for bread and milk, morning coffee on the hotel balcony, strolls along the beach after dinner etc. 

Al fresco breakfasts are becoming less attractive, and darker, by the day but why not set the alarm a bit earlier and make a point of starting your day with a proper breakfast and conversation rather than racing out of the door, toast in hand, muttering something about dry cleaning?  Quality time in the morning could do wonders for your mood, your connection with your nearest and dearest and give you time to plan the day ahead.

 

“You know that feeling when you wake up in the morning and you're excited for the day? That's one of my main goals in life” - Kirsten Dunst

 

Evening strolls along the beach after dinner are less attractive when a) you live nowhere near a beach and/or b) it is tipping it down with rain, but you could make time in the evening to relax and talk.  No TV, just a glass of your holiday tipple and a sound track of the ocean.  What a lovely way to get over the frustrations of the day! 

 

 

When holidaying did you while away hours on a lounger with your head in a book?  Hold onto your reading habit and if you are distracted by chores and other people at home then take yourself away for a few hours; to a hotel lobby or coffee shop, the library even!  Schedule in some reading time to relax and learn. 

 

Make a list right now of all the things you did on holiday that you really enjoyed (yes, all of them!) and note what it was that you most enjoyed about them.  Then fit these, or other activities which will give you the same buzz, into your weekly routine.  Keep the holiday vibe alive until your next break. 

 

 

2. Make work more fun

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from.” - Seth Godin

 

If you are lacking motivation, I suggest you have a good look at how you spend your time.  What did you do on your holiday. How did you organise yourself?  Did you thrive without a routine?  Did your sense of adventure lead you to paddle boarding or whizzing down a zip wire?  Perhaps you tapped into your creativity to build awesome sandcastles, learn to paint watercolours or cook with new flavours. 

 

If your work seems nowhere near as absorbing or exciting as your holiday then may be it’s time to get out of your comfort zone- mix things up and take on new challenges.  Chances are, your work isn’t making the best use of your skills and talents.

Find at least one new thing to do at work which would use your underused holiday skill.  Should you be using your; adventure planning skills to run a project or design the next team build, creativity to be the office PowerPoint guru or office blogger, rediscovered love of reading to set up a book club? 

“If ants are such busy workers, how come they find time to go to all the picnics?” - Marie Dressler

If you are too busy to take on more activities, then perhaps you have lost touch with your main objectives or are filling your to do list with other people’s priorities?  It is easy to become overwhelmed and disheartened.  Take a look at how you spend those working hours and make sure you are clear on what you are there to achieve and how best to meet your goals. 

“I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacation with better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change” - Jim Rohn

I am being light hearted here but if you really feel as though you are in the wrong job and motivation is lost, then a coach could really help you to plan your next move.  Through Total Guide Swindon you can have a free hour with me, The Change Agent, to explore how you can create a working life that brings out the best in you.  Who knows?  You may never need a vacation again!