There are few better ways to relax from the stresses of work than hopping on a plane and heading to a remote beach far away from the office scrum. But dragging yourself back to the workplace on your return can be something of a downer and, inevitably, trading your flip-flops for a filofax engenders a sinking feeling. Fortunately, you can take some solace in the fact that you’re not the only one: research from Auto Europe has revealed that more than half of us feel a little blue when returning to work.
In its survey, the car-hire booking company discovered that 57% of British workers felt somewhat glum on their return from catching some summer sun; by contrast just 31% reported feeling happy and refreshed. A quarter of respondents said coming back to work left them deflated, whilst over a fifth said they felt melancholy before even booting up their computer. Perhaps worst of all, 12% of the respondents said they felt anxious about their return, with 15% becoming so stressed that it was like they’d had no time away at all.
But it seems that not everybody is willing to take this lying down; more than half of workers have developed survival strategies to ease their transition back to work. Just over a third treat themselves to a bit of retail therapy, whilst more than a tenth indulge their sweet tooth. A few even find themselves drinking more heavily, with 13% saying they imbibe more alcohol than they would usually. And, such are the withdrawal symptoms that can come with returning from a holiday, it’s not surprising that many people immediately start planning their next escape. Indeed, more than a fifth of workers surveyed by Auto Europe said they booked another holiday as soon as they landed back on home soil.
“Holidays are a vital way to recharge the batteries and reflect on your life as well as your career,” explained Rui Alves, head of digital marketing at Auto Europe. “But it’s only natural that, as employees return to work, many will suffer from post-holiday blues. However, if you’d rather be anywhere but back at work after a holiday, it might be the wake-up call you need to find a new role.”
But if your boss asks, you didn’t hear that from us.
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