The philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill once explained why he avoided taking holidays, stating, “No holidays allowed,” due to the worry that it might interrupt his work routine and foster laziness. It’s true that after a vacation, people might feel “instant stress” upon returning to work. The relaxation enjoyed while leisurely spending time by the pool can vanish quickly once back at the desk. Whether our work is primarily from the office or home, the work environment can often be hectic, intense, fast-paced, relentless, and tiring, especially after time off.
In the 1970s, two prominent US cardiologists, Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, described the effects of many work environments as “hurry sickness.” According to the UK’s latest Health & Safety Executive report on sickness absence, “stress, depression or anxiety” contributed to 51% of all work-related health cases and accounted for 55% of all lost working days due to work-related health issues. Essentially, most jobs are stressful, necessitating periods of rest and relaxation. So, how can we manage the stress of coming back to work to ensure we maintain the advantages of taking breaks and avoid the post-holiday stress trap? As someone who specializes in organizational psychology and health, here are seven tips.
On your first day back, spend your initial hour(s) building social connections with colleagues by sharing holiday experiences. This social interaction supports health and well-being. Delay responding to emails as the sheer volume can cause stress, and attempting to handle them all on day one can lead to exhaustion and potentially awkward interactions. Instead, glance over your emails, address urgent ones, and save the rest for later.
Make sure to take coffee or tea breaks and have lunch away from your desk each day in your first week back. If working in an office, have these breaks with various colleagues, and try to eat lunch outside. After work, stay active—avoid simply watching TV; go to the gym, go for a run, or dine out with loved ones, allowing the holiday spirit to extend into your home life. Workplaces often move at a rapid pace. In their book, Type A Behavior and Your Heart, published in 1974, Friedman and Rosenman argued that the office environment can make people overly time-focused. Don’t schedule too many meetings to prove you’re back in action.
Essentially, don’t attempt to clear your workload within 48 hours. Colleagues who frequently complain or suggest there are no solutions can be stressful, especially right after a relaxing holiday. Be patient and tolerant, listening without being swayed. Lastly, avoid setting unrealistic deadlines or making unneeded appointments, and kindly refuse tasks you cannot complete during your first week back. Social reformer Studs Terkel, in his renowned book Working, wrote: “Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor—in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday-to-Friday sort of dying.”