Post-vacation blues (Canada and US), post-holiday blues (UK, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries) or post-travel depression (PTD) is a type of
mood that persons returning home from a long trip (usually a vacation) may experience.
Background
A person may suffer from post-vacation blues after returning home or to a normal routine from a long vacation, especially if it was a pleasurable one.
The longer a trip lasts, the more intense the post-vacation blues may be. This is because after some people return home, they realize how boring and unsatisfactory their normal lifestyle is when compared to the activities they did while on their vacation. It is easier to re-adjust to a normal routine the shorter the trip was. Post-vacation blues may result in tiredness, loss of appetite, strong feelings of
nostalgia
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...
, and in some cases, depression.
Jet lag may intensify the post-vacation blues.
According to an article in
''The Mirror'', 57% of British travellers reported experiencing post-holiday blues.
Treatment
In general, post-vacation blues will wear off over time. It usually takes a few days, but in extreme cases, the mood can last for several weeks before wearing off. Faster ways of treating post-vacation blues are for the person to share experiences with family and friends or to look at photos and souvenirs. Some people may find comfort in re-living their vacation experiences; for example, if one really enjoyed
jet-skiing
A personal watercraft (PWC), also called water scooter or jet ski, is a recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, not within, as in a boat. PWCs have two style categories, first and most popular being a runabout or "sit down" whe ...
during the holiday, that person may purchase a jet-ski for personal use. Another well-known method of curing post-vacation blues is to plan or book the next vacation as this offers a distraction and also provides the person something to look forward to.
Similar moods
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Spring fever
* In Japan, a phenomenon known as ''gogatsu-byou'' (五月病, literally "May sickness") leaves some people feeling depressed a month after they started a new school year or new job, as their expectations were not met.
See also
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Human factors
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Human reliability
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Seasonal affective disorder
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Homesickness
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Nostalgia
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...
References
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Mood disorders
Itinerant living
Travel
Nostalgia