Key takeaways
- Post-vacation depression is the term for the negative emotions people can experience when returning from vacation, such as sadness, anxiety, or nostalgia.
- Coping strategies include documenting the trip to preserve positive memories, practicing mindfulness to refocus on the present, and managing stress upon returning to work or school.
- Planning a buffer period before returning to work and scheduling enjoyable activities after the vacation may help reduce the post-vacation blues.
Although being on vacation may help to relieve stress and improve mood, the positive effects may not always last upon returning home.
People may experience emotional discomfort, nostalgia, or an increase in stress when returning to their routine, work, or studies.
This article looks at post-vacation depression, including its effects, potential causes, and how to cope.
Post-vacation depression is not a clinically recognized condition. It refers to the low mood people may experience after returning from vacation.
People may also refer to post-vacation depression as post-vacation syndrome, post-holiday blues, or holiday syndrome.
The effects of post-vacation depression may temporarily interfere with a person’s day-to-day life, including personal relationships and performance when returning to work or studies.
However, unlike clinical depression, post-vacation blues are short-term.
There is no specific list of signs all people with post-vacation blues experience. However, anecdotally people report feeling:
- anxious
- sad
- dread about going back to work or school
- irritable
- generally uneasy
- nostalgic
Post-vacation depression may occur for several reasons.
Returning to daily life
Vacations can provide a break from responsibilities, including work-related stress. In a 2020 study of 60 workers, researchers measured psychological changes that occurred before, during, and after vacation.
There was no change in negative emotions, stress, and aggression before the vacation, but these all decreased significantly afterward.
However, resuming work or school may reintroduce the stressors and responsibilities people had before the vacation, thereby increasing stress again.
Enjoyment
Sometimes, people feel sad when an enjoyable experience comes to an end. This could happen even if a person is content with their everyday life.
Vacations offer unique opportunities for new experiences, breathtaking scenery, and relationships with people from far away. Leaving these behind could cause a low mood.
Reverse culture shock
Another possibility is reverse culture shock. This occurs when a person becomes accustomed to a culture or way of life in another place, but then experiences culture shock upon returning home and re-entering their former society.
The contrast between the vacation and their home life may be hard to adjust to.
Lack of sleep
A lack of sleep while traveling, or jet lag from crossing multiple time zones, could affect a person’s mood.
Some strategies that may help a person cope with post-vacation blues include:
Recording memories
People may find that documenting their trip in a journal or scrapbook, or creating an album of photos, helps them cope with negative emotions after the vacation.
A 2020 study found that participants who created scrapbooks to capture memories helped provide psychological comfort.
Keeping photos, a vacation diary, or souvenirs may also allow people to remember positive experiences.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment. People may find that practicing mindfulness helps reduce anxiety and depression. Ways to be mindful include:
- taking deep breaths through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, while counting
- taking a walk and engaging the senses to notice the surroundings
- eating slowly and savoring each bite to notice the textures, smells, and taste
- scanning the body by bringing attention to each area and focusing on how it feels
Reducing workplace stress
If people are experiencing work-related stress, the American Psychological Association (APA) suggests the following ways to help manage it:
- using a journal to keep track of situations that cause stress and how a person responded to it
- finding healthy ways of coping with stress and tension, such as exercise and good-quality sleep
- prioritizing self-care and making time for enjoyable hobbies or activities, such as reading a book, going to a concert, or spending quality time with family
- creating work-life boundaries, such as not checking emails outside the workday or not answering the phone after certain hours
- allowing regular time to rest and recharge away from work
- talking with a supervisor to create a plan to help manage work-related stress
- talking with trusted friends, family, or colleagues, and asking for support
“Post-vacation depression” is a colloquial term for a temporary low mood that can follow a vacation. In contrast, clinical depression is generally more severe and chronic, meaning it lasts a longer period of time.
The symptoms of depression can include:
- persistently feeling sad, anxious, or empty
- feeling hopeless or pessimistic
- feeling irritable, frustrated, or restless
- feeling guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities
- fatigue or lack of energy
- difficulty concentrating
- changes to sleeping patterns
- appetite changes
- unexplained weight changes
- unexplained physical aches and pains
- suicidal thoughts or actions
If people experience some of the above almost daily, for most of the day, for
Post-vacation blues may subside with time. However, if a person experiences persistent mood changes or symptoms that affect their ability to do daily activities, they may want to talk with a therapist or psychologist.
If mood changes are interfering with their work, they could consider asking their employer whether they offer an employee assistance program.
An employee assistance program may provide resources for coping with stress, counseling, or referral to a mental health professional.
Help is out there
If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:
- Call or text the 988 Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Caring counselors are available to listen and provide free and confidential support 24/7.
- Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor for free and confidential support 24/7.
- Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
- Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.
If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.
If you’re not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.
Putting a plan in place before going on vacation may help prevent or lessen post-vacation blues upon a person’s return. It may help to:
- allow a day or two to adjust between returning from holiday and starting work
- gradually return to a person’s regular sleep schedule
- plan some enjoyable leisure or social activities after the vacation
- get regular physical activity
- practice relaxation techniques, such as meditation
People may also want to plan a fun activity to look forward to for the weeks or months following their vacation. Planning a future vacation, even far in advance, may also help remind people they have another break to look forward to.
If someone has an unresolved problem that may contribute to post-vacation depression, such as workplace burnout, taking a small step toward changing it may help.
People may experience post-vacation depression after returning from a holiday. They may feel sadness, a low mood, or increased stress when returning to their everyday responsibilities and routine.
Allowing a few days to readjust before returning to work may help, as well as planning enjoyable activities when returning and documenting a trip to capture memories.
If people are experiencing work stress, they may want to put measures in place or talk with their employer about ways to manage stress.
If feelings of depression continue, people may want to talk with their healthcare professional or a mental health professional for advice.