Settling back to normal life after summer holidays can be difficult. Michelle McDonaghgets some advice on how to overcome those post-holiday blues
Long luxurious lie-ins, glorious sunshine, dining out every night and a total break from the stresses of work and everyday life at home. It's no wonder we spend so much time looking forward to the annual summer break but the days seem to just flash past and all too soon, it's back to the rain, the rush-hour traffic and the daily grind of work and household routines.
As the end of one of the longest, wettest Irish summers on record fast approaches, more people than ever seem to be grumbling about the 'post-holiday blues'. Instead of returning to work re-energised and full of the joys of life, many of us are finding it difficult to tackle that backlog of e-mails and reply to our endless phone messages never mind get on with new tasks.
And on top of the lack of motivation and post-holiday lethargy, many of us have brought back some unwanted baggage in the form of those extra pounds that have crept on hips, bum and tum.
Cork consultant psychologist Dr Gillian Moore-Groarke suggests that, if possible, people should take one to two days off before going away on holidays to allow us to wind down and take a day off on our return to organise domestic duties such as shopping and washing.
"Who says you have to get through all your telephone messages and e-mails on your return? Gradually pace yourself through the first few days back. Prioritise what is important and space them, such as returning callss etc . . . over the first week. Stick to your normal finishing time," she advises.
She also recommends getting children off to bed early two weeks before the start of the new term to prepare them for the change.
"Plan a treat for the last weekend before going back to school, for example, a trip to the cinema or a day out. Get the children to pack their own school bags and help with covering their books."
And finally, she advises that we book our next break away as soon as we can to help us plan ahead and look forward.
Although 'post-holiday blues' is not a medical syndrome per se, Dublin GP Dr Mel Bates admits that doctors too can find it a challenge to get back into the normal work routine after a break away.
The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) spokesman says it's rare for people to go to their GP complaining of post-holiday blues - they may feel it's not a serious enough problem to seek help for.
"People don't tend to come in and complain about feeling down after holidays, they usually have a backlog of things to do at home and work.
"They don't pop in to see me unless they are actually sick. It's my experience that people who are depressed and down are usually in need of a holiday and haven't taken a break from work in a long time," he says.
Bates highlights the plight of immigrants in this country who work extremely long hours far away from their homes and families. They can find it very difficult to see others heading off on holidays and enjoying themselves in their free time while they work all the time.
Managing director of west of Ireland-based coaching and personal development company, Zenergie, Lorna McDowell feels that the incessant rain over the summer is definitely adding to the general post-holiday gloom.
She remarks: "There is a real focus on the weather in this country, particularly at the moment. Our first topic of conversation is normally about what the weather is doing and because the weather has been quite bad, it can set off quite a negative conversation. Coming back from a sun holiday straight into the rain and mist can have a negative impact. You should try not to engage in talking about the weather because it can kick off negative feelings. We've got to stop being so dependent on the weather for our happiness."
Instead of travelling abroad to hotter climes to seek the sun, McDowell suggests we travel within ourselves and try to find our inner sun. People can sometimes feel they need the sun to come out before they can give themselves permission to relax and have a good time, she comments.
"I live near the Burren and I find it fascinating to watch the German and Dutch tourists with all the right gear and clothing cycling around in all weathers. The locals hide inside in the rain and watch television, but we need to get a lot more active as activity leads to lightening up and gives us the energy to do more."
For those of us with a bad dose of the post-holiday blues that we can't seem to shake off, McDowell suggests finding a really pleasurable project to work on that will help absorb our attention and lead to a sense of wellbeing.
"Learn a new skill such as painting or pottery or redecorate your house.
"Take control of your destiny. Rather than coming back from holiday and waiting for the next nice thing to happen, you have to make nice things happen. Learn to set goals and master your inner thinking to create what you want."
She stresses the importance of getting as much light into our lives as possible to activate the happy hormones in the brain. Instead of moaning about the constant rain, she advises people to buy a pair of bright wellies and go for a walk in the country.
And while many people tend to pile on the pounds on holiday, Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) nutritionist Margot Brennan warns us not to be tempted to go down the route of the fad or detox diet when the holidays come to an end as this will only end up making us even more miserable.
"Usually people return to their normal weight very quickly once they get back to their regular routine. After a couple of days, that bloating and heaviness is usually gone," she assures.
Brennan's advice for losing the holiday bulge is to go back to cutting out excess calories such as chocolate, sweets and cakes and to eat three meals and three healthy snacks each day.
She also advises watching our alcohol intake as alcohol contains significant calories and can cause us to feel hungry and eat at night when we normally wouldn't.
"A good thing to do is to try to identify when your bad times of day are for eating.
"If it's in the evening after work when you are fed up, you need to put a plan in place to take exercise or do something at that point to distract yourself."
When it comes to getting your exercise routine back on track after two weeks of lazing around, she suggests setting realistic targets.
Don't try and force yourself to go for a walk five nights a week, do it two or three nights and work your way back to your former routine.