Sharing holiday memories and looking through the holiday pictures and having smells that remind you of the holiday is  Olena Nikolska, therapist, coach, and Hogan Assessment Consulting consultant advises all those who are back in the office after a holiday break. She discussed the best ways to cope with post-holiday blues at the latest MIM-TV episode. 

Returning to work after long breaks or festivals does not stress everybody. Some people are working all the time. They are comfortable with dealing with working issues during weekends and they are answering phones in the early mornings or late at night, at beautiful tropical or ski resorts. However, those people are very different from workaholics who are always anxious about deadlines, e-mails, etc. 

- There is another group of people who seem to begin a new life every weekend. That’s why an efficient start of a working week is difficult for them. Another type of people immerse in their holidays and feel as if they did not have them at all afterward. Olena advises such people to start and finish holidays gradually e.g. not to work long hours on the holiday’s eve or start fast after.

If you managed to go away for a break, Olena recommends “anchoring” and recollecting the sweet moments. Pictures or souvenirs may help. It is also good to come back home a couple of days earlier and get used to the post-holiday reality rather than go to work immediately after the holiday. 

Olena’s recommendations include planning holidays in advance and having a hobby. 

- Hobby is necessary for preventing burnout and workaholism. Festivities and relaxation are also critical for sanity, she explains. 

She suggests enhancing self-awareness – what helps to rejuvenate, what makes you happy or energetic, and what is the early sign of fatigue. Olena also recommends planning all weekend activities beforehand and even neglecting some home chores if it helps to improve your vital energy and fitness to work.