Feeling Lazy After the Holidays, Here's the Explanation and Solution

Illustration of a person experiencing anxiety disorder. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Feeling anxious or unmotivated after returning from vacation is a common thing experienced by many people. This condition is often referred to as post holiday blues, which is the phase when a person has to adapt back from the relaxed atmosphere during the holidays to a more dense daily routine. Although it feels uncomfortable, this condition can actually be overcome in the right way.

Professor of Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Indonesia, Rose Mini Agoes Salim, explained that one of the keys to reducing anxiety is to change the way of thinking to be more positive.

"To avoid this holiday blues, we must know that in our lives at the office, not everything feels uncomfortable, because we can meet friends and still have time with family at the weekend," he said.

According to him, post holiday blues are generally characterized by feelings of anxiety, sadness, lack of motivation, and loss of enthusiasm after returning from a fun holiday activity to daily routines.

He added that although the accumulation of work after the holidays is difficult to avoid, it can be managed by creating a priority scale. That way, one can determine which work must be completed first and which can still be postponed.

In addition, it is also important to understand one's own condition when returning to normal activities. Adaptation can be done gradually, for example by giving time to rest or starting to get used to the morning routine before actually returning to work full-time.

"This makes us then get used to doing things that we usually do, so that we don't have to wake up suddenly in the morning. That way, we can adjust gradually," he explained.

Romy also reminded that the experience of vacation does not always go perfectly. Sometimes there are obstacles, both during the trip and when gathering with family. However, with a more positive perspective, the moment can still be meaningful as a valuable experience.

"It all depends on how we think. If you look at it negatively, everything can feel negative. But if we look at the positive side, it can actually refresh," he said.