Why we often get a burn-out just after the vacation
You work hard and a lot, but you have it in the back of your mind with every post-it you cross out: soon I will be on vacation. Soon I can lie flat on that beach chair. Soon... But yes. Before you know it, that oh so deserved vacation is over again.
And then the chance of a burn-out is even greater, it turns out. No less than a quarter of people experience a burn-out just after the vacation. We have been away from those emails, those meetings, and that same desk for a while. But when we are back, when the sunny vacation is behind us, that’s when the danger lurks. The routine continues where it left off. During those free days on that sunny beach, you thought about your new dreams, goals in life, but the reality is usually: nothing changes in your life.
According to psychologists, vacations are very good for you and you mentally recover from them, but this positive effect disappears the day you clock back in at the office. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been away: home is home again and then you feel just as stressed as before that free sightseeing with your backpack in Thailand. No less than forty percent of people say that the relaxed feeling of vacation has faded within a few days. Bye dreamy rice fields, hello meeting room A.
The fact that we experience a burn-out after a period of beach and long days is mainly due to two things. Everything continues the same as before the vacation started, only now you no longer have that nice thought in the back of your mind that you ‘will be free soon’. You have nothing in your schedule except work. Ouch. Work work work it is, until the second Christmas day, if you’re unlucky. The other pitfall: you felt you had to do a lot on vacation and as a result, you are actually less rested than you had hoped. You’ve flown far, jetlags, seen a lot, walked a lot, drank a lot, did a lot and well, are you actually well-rested, refreshed, and fit now? No. And your phone was also just on and you texted your boss back.
What really shocks me? At least thirty-five percent of people constantly experience stress related to their work. Deadlines, salary, long hours, and not being able to grow in their position are the causes of this. Wow. That people then stay so long in a job that makes them unhappy; something I would never do. Work should of course pay your energy bill, but it should also give you energy.
The trick of life to prevent a bit of burn-out? Difficult, but try it. Set your boundaries in time and say ‘no’ more often. That saves you time and your time is the most valuable. You want to outsource it to people who really matter. Also, come back slowly into your work rhythm after the vacation: preferably don’t start right away with those five days in the office, but build it up if possible, then you can stretch that nice summer feeling a little longer. Plan your tasks wisely so that you get done what really needs to be done and above all: book a next trip. Even if it’s just one night away with your love, even if you camp in your backyard: do it. Just the idea makes you happy. Write it down on your to-do list, so you don’t forget it.
Source: Infinity
