(Ecns.cn)--The weeklong National Day holiday is over, the commuter bus is crowded again and the long, busy week stretches ahead.
A survey conducted by the Information Times revealed that over 60% of Chinese returning to work admit experiencing a feeling of gloom at the end of the holiday. "The anxiety started to haunt me even two days before the first day back," a man surnamed Sun from Guangdong Province said. "This past holiday week has been so relaxing and comfortable. Therefore, I feel stressed as soon as the idea of returning to work comes along."
The gloomy feeling is academically diagnosed as post-holiday depression syndrome. Besides the anxiety, it also involves tiredness, poor appetite, and muscle pains. But, different groups of people present differing symptoms.
The most afflicted group is the people who spent the whole seven days indoors curled up as couch potatoes, living an irregular life. Their disordered biological clock therefore poses a big challenge when the holiday ends. "I stayed up until morning almost every day during the holiday and didn't get up until lunch time. Now I don't know how to adjust myself," complained Yu, a man who works in a Hong Kong enterprise.
The dawn of the working day this Saturday even anguishes those who have just enjoyed a tour. "It's really stressful getting back. The tiresome work is waiting for me," Ms. Sun from Guangzhou said. The thought of returning to work has dwarfed the thrill of the holiday trip.
It gets worse after such office workers return to work！they can't concentrate, fight to keep their eyes open, feel exhausted, and are generally not in the mood to work. If not dealt with properly, it may take weeks to recover.
Suggested steps to cope with the annoying mood include getting back to the usual routine at the end of the vacation. It's thus not wise to arrange any entertainment, especially not the evening before the first day back. Instead, one should spend the time with a calm mood at home. Taking a long shower and after that, clearing the mind with a cup of tea, can help to get prepared for the next day.
Take a deep breath whenever you feel the stress from the suddenly geared up work tempo. It's normal to feel blue after a long time of 'being absent' from work. It is not so normal, however, to feel hatred towards the job upon return. This calls for more attention on self-adjustment rather than the work itself. Making work plans for the coming week, keeping properly occupied with the task at hand, and drinking a cup of coffee, are all said to be helpful on the first day back to work.
With regards to the post-holiday dysfunction on the stomach, many psychologists advise office workers to eat healthier. After the many indulgences of the holiday period, it's common to feel that we are a little out of shape and in need of an immediate diet. This, if with a healthy and realistic plan, will benefit a lot in enhancing the mood and help to return to the usual routine of working. Trying out some salad for lunch might push one out of the dizzy feeling aroused when trying to 'join' the work tempo after the 7-day-rest.
