"In healthcare settings, for example, fairness and rota policies often mean that the same individual cannot take Christmas leave every year in order to maintain adequate staffing levels. For others, particularly those with family abroad, holidays can involve expensive flights, long travel times, and complex logistical planning. Managing limited annual leave, disrupted routines, and social obligations can mean that the anticipated rest associated with holidays instead becomes another source of pressure."
"On returning to work, individuals are frequently met with full calendars, large volumes of unread emails, and immediate performance demands, while their cognitive and emotional systems are still adjusting. Many people describe feeling unusually slow, unfocused, or overwhelmed during this period. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as post holiday stress or post holiday blues and is not merely a subjective experience."
Time off boosts well-being but benefits fade quickly once normal work routines resume. Post-holiday blues manifest as email overload, decision fatigue, disrupted focus, and pressure to be instantly productive. Some people find holidays restorative due to fewer emails and a slower pace, while others face logistical, fairness, and staffing pressures that make holidays stressful. Returning to work often brings full calendars, unread emails, and immediate demands while cognitive and emotional systems are still adjusting. Vacations produce short-term improvements, but re-entry into high-demand environments places measurable strain on cognitive and emotional resources.
Read at Psychology Today
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