Feb 4, 2022
by Ruben, 2021
By now, you have probably already heard about post-holiday syndrome and the impact it has on motivation in the workplace. Returning after the holidays requires a great deal of adapting: to schedules, routines, and work. In psychology, post-vacation syndrome is defined as a mix of anxiety and emotional pressure that occurs upon returning to work after an extended time away. Otherwise known as the post-holiday blues, the syndrome is mainly characterized by a poor attitude towards work and a lack of focus.
Many employees who suffer from this type of stress also experience psychological and/or physical disorders, that accompany them. A common complaint from employees is that they either are sleeping poorly, or not much at all, following their holidays. Also, many people express that the change in routine following vacations and the high pressure that follows a return to work, responsible for accentuating post-holiday stress.
If you want to reduce the impact of post-holiday syndrome, apply these top 5 tips for fighting post-holiday stress. I recommend you follow these 5 easy tips. We already used them at Factorial and they work!
5 tips to fight post-holiday stress
1. Welcome the workers
There’s nothing like coming back to the office and finding a little detail on your desk. A welcome letter, a sweet treat or breakfast with your coworkers is a great way to start the day with enthusiasm. It’s the small things like this that add to an employee’s emotional salary and lead to a positive vision of their work environment.
2. Organize a team meeting
Returning after a vacation and expecting to be 100% productive isn’t always easy. It takes time to adjust back, catch up on what’s happened while you were away, and to access the status of pending tasks. The best thing you can do to set yourself up for success at this stage is to organize a brief team meeting to clear up and questions-concerns that have come up. Organize your tasks the first day, and you’ll be less susceptive to overwhelm int the days and weeks to follow.
3. Not everything has to be done on the first day
Take advantage of a team meeting to plan the days and weeks following the holidays. Surely not everything has a high priority. Working in excess is the best way to intensify the post-holiday syndrome, stress, and anguish. Take it easy, breathe, and remember, you don’t have to tackle everything on the first day; if you try, you’ll be spinning your wheels.
4. Offer employees time & space
It’s normal that the rhythm is not the usual and that employees need more breaks during the first days. Make sure that everyone has enough time to transition. Pro tip -offer small activities or lunch meetings, to allow your employees moments of relaxation or to disconnect.
5. Positivity fuels the ship
Team leaders must maintain positivity in the team and support their team, not only with their workload but on an emotional level to some extent. Without proper guidance and support, your employees may become overwhelmed after their return to work. As a boss, you should also be intuitive and sensitive to this transition, as it isn’t always an easy one. Everyone has emotional episodes and difficulties transitioning after the holidays, try your best to communicate with your employees more at this time rather than ignore them.
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