Want to beat the holiday blues - for good?

In the UK, more than 50 per cent of us experience post-holiday blues upon returning back to the same, monotonous grind after the holidays. We come back refreshed and ready to take on the world, but soon realise that nothing has changed and it’s back to the same daily repetitive routine.

So how can we put those post-holiday blues to bed for good?

Well first and foremost, recognising and accepting that unless we consciously MAKE some changes, nothing will change and we will continue to feel as ‘blue’ as we do.

The first step in taking control of making changes is simply, making a list. Taking some time out in the day to sit down and note the things we want, and things we don’t want. Although it sounds easy, it is often harder than we expect as it makes us really think about the changes we need to make to beat the blues and make us happier. 

Secondly, PLANNING is key. As fun as it is booking holidays, it’s unrealistic to live from holiday to holiday when the majority of us take one ‘proper’ holiday a year. Surely we can’t expect to only be truly happy once a year while sunning ourselves and sipping something tasty? This is where PLANNING really is key. Sit down with your diary and plan in things to look forward to NOW, this week… it could be something simple like meeting up with an old friend, booking a table at a new restaurant or even trying a new exercise class.

Exercise in particular is essential for beating the blues and feeling fabulous. In my job, I am fortunate enough to see the wonderful effects of exercise on a daily basis. When we exercise, our body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with receptors in our brains that reduce our perception of pain, and more importantly trigger positive feelings in our bodies. Hence why we feel ‘on a high’ after going for a run for example. All in all, a very simple concept really; the more we exercise, the better we will feel! 

With all the best intentions in the world, if these things aren’t planned in, they just won’t happen, and the monotonous daily routine cycle will continue without change.

Thirdly, get CREATIVE! Do something a little bit different, maybe even pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. It could be taking on a new hobby, learning a new language (Spanish for example!), or cooking a new recipe - perhaps even emulating your favourite holiday dish and experiencing a piece of that happiness and recreating those memories in the comfort of your own home. 

It takes a super human effort to train sometimes!