If you’ve been on vacation this summer, you might come back to colleagues asking whether you’re feeling reinvigorated and recharged – itching to jump back into work. You might even find yourself saying ‘yes’ because you feel like that’s what you’re ‘supposed’ to feel like. Just know that you’re not the only one having trouble transitioning back into the 9-to-5. A British poll found that 57% of people feel depressed or deflated after coming home from traveling. As a matter of fact, there is even a name for it: post-vacation blues or post-travel depression (PTD) if you want to get even more serious about it. 

So let’s share some tips from Greater Good Magazine on how to make the transition more bearable:

• ‘Calendar block’ the first couple of days after your return. This is not to say you won’t work, but this allows you a smoother transition back into work wherein you dictate what you want to do and which things should receive priority. 
• Plan post-vacation leisure activities. We are often so focused on the vacation itself that we forget how important it is to plan fun activities beyond the holiday itself. Having exciting leisure activities to look forward to makes the transition less black/white and allows you to be more excited about coming home. 
• Anticipate and eliminate home stress. It can really help to get in front of the sources of stress that will present itself when you get home from vacation. For example, coming home late? Make sure to have some dinner in the freezer. Or already decide how you will spend your first work day. 

So are you struggling to adjust back to regular life after a great holiday experience? Use these tips to your advantage to make the transition as smooth as possible and before you know it you’ll be back on track.