What is a vacation hangover?

A travel hangover, also known as the post-vacation blues, is basically that bummed-out feeling you experience after returning from a trip, likely accompanied by difficulty re-adjusting to regular, everyday life — and research says it's a real thing (and not just you being a baby).



People Also Ask

Although being on vacation may help to relieve stress and improve mood, the positive effects may not always last on returning home. People may experience emotional discomfort, nostalgia, or an increase in stress when returning to their regular routine, work, or studies.

MORE DETAILS

The relief of freedom from responsibility that is often experienced on vacation can then make returning to them much more overwhelming, with the full weight of them returning all at once. Many may even come back from vacation with more work to do than when they left, due to work or school demands.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Studies have shown that taking time away from the job can have physical and mental health benefits. People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.

MORE DETAILS

Post-vacation depression is feeling sad or down after your vacation is over. You can cope by slowly returning to your normal routine or talking to your manager about work stress. Sometimes post-vacation blues may be part of a mental health condition like major depression or an anxiety disorder.

MORE DETAILS

Dromomania was a historical psychiatric diagnosis whose primary symptom was uncontrollable urge to walk or wander. Dromomania has also been referred to as traveling fugue. Non-clinically, the term has come to be used to describe a desire for frequent traveling or wanderlust.

MORE DETAILS

One reason people feel post-vacation fatigue is that they push themselves too hard when they're back home. If someone's effort to take care of as many home tasks as possible before leaving fell a little short, there can be an overwhelming feeling of “I need to catch up to get back on track”.

MORE DETAILS

People with travel anxiety may experience unease, a rapid heart rate, or sweating while traveling. They may feel anxious while taking certain forms of transportation, being in an unfamiliar place, or experiencing the unknown.

MORE DETAILS