It was inevitable wasn’t it really? A blog post that centres around the back-to-work blues that always come flooding over us after a bank holiday weekend, especially one like the blindingly sunny one that we in the UK have just been blessed with.

There really was no other conceivable topic with which we could focus our attention on this morning – why? Because long sunny weekends are awesome of course!! But you know what isn’t so awesome? Going back to work after one of them. No matter how great your work is – and working at Pistachio is, let’s face it, pretty great – you’d have to be superhuman to be able to dispel the feeling of resentment that creeps in when the alarm goes off on Tuesday morning, signalling the end of the long afternoons spent in a pub garden and marking the start of endless emails filling up your inbox all week long.

Now, this isn’t just a long and whiney rant about the cruelty of life, full of protestations about why we have to work for a living instead of bbq-ing life away whilst swigging on a cool, refreshing beer, because we’re all sensible adults here and we know how life works. Work is important to us because it is where we demonstrate our well-honed skills and give value to our chosen profession, it’s where we learn and grow and contribute to the success of our businesses, our clients businesses and our customers lives, and it’s also how we fund the sufficient supply of bbq food and beers that we demolish on a bank holiday weekend.

But back-to-work blues are actually a real thing, there is even a study on it. The gist being that the fun of any holiday contrasted against the stress of work can be a strain on our emotional wellbeing, so it’s not difficult to see why so many of us struggle to get motivated and back into our normal routines after a break. Couple that with some wonderfully sunny weather, and it’s really a wonder as to why we don’t all collectively jack it in and resign on a post bank-holiday Tuesday morning.

So, for everyone that had to head back to work today after the May Day Bank Holiday, and is feeling a little glum, here are a few ideas for banishing those post-holiday-blues to help you get into the positive swing of smashing through your work and back on an even emotional keel…

Tip 1: You’re not a superhero

Feeling stressed on the first day back at work is normal, so embrace it. The key is to not let the anxiety overwhelm you.

Set yourself small tasks and goals and tick them off as you go along. This is a great way to face the day with a positive attitude and ease yourself back in to a productive rhythm.

Tip 2: Beware the booze and caffeine

I mean, don’t take this advice too literally because I don’t want to be responsible for sapping all of the joy from your life – but be wary of alcohol and caffeine consumption when dealing with the back-to-work blues.

Alcohol is (REALLY DELICIOUS AND FUN!) but it is also a depressant of the nervous system, so it can aggravate the symptoms of apathy and sadness caused by post-holiday blues, not what we need the night before we prepare to raise our heads above the parapet once again, so stick to the H20 and keep your mind clear of naughty, influential toxins.

And just to make you feel even better, caffeine can intensify the symptoms associated with stress and increase anxiety – so maybe hold back on relentlessly filling up your coffee cup on your immediate return to work and give that racing little a heart a rest.

Tip 3: Be active

Exercise helps segregation of endorphins that will help counteract the effects of stress on your body. When we’re stressed or anxious our bodies release high amounts of cortisol and endorphins are the perfect ally to counteract this.

So, get moving, whether it’s an early morning run, an after work gym class, or a brisk walk at lunchtime, getting your limbs active and moving around will greatly help to reduce those back-to-work woes and fight off negative emotions from taking hold.

Tip 4: Be patient

These bluesy symptoms won’t last long, depending on how long you’ve been away for obviously, but for a long weekend, the blues should only be with you for a day or two.

So, be patient, stay calm, follow all of the tips above and you should just about make it through to Friday with a smile etched on your grumpy little face.

Tip 5: PMA

PMA! PMA! What’s a PMA I hear you cry? Well it’s a positive mental attitude of course! If all else fails then some positive psychology tricks should help, here are a few of our favourites…

-Remember how lucky you are, yes work can be tiring and stressful, but unlike many other people, you are actually employed and are hopefully carving out the best career path for you right now, so stay strong and focus on that.

-At least you had a bank holiday to enjoy, some people have to actually WORK on bank holidays, imagine that? Imagine seeing all of your friends and family posting Instagram snaps of their fun day off in the sun and you’re contractually obliged to stay indoors and work? Nooo thank you! So be thankful for the time you got to spend eating your body weight in plastic burger cheese this weekend, and on the next bank holiday be sure to raise a sugary glass of overpriced cider to all of those seething bank holiday workers.

-If it’s been a bank holiday that means it’s only a 4 day working week ahead, so make some hip/cool/funky plans for the approaching weekend and plough on through to Friday!

We hope this has helped with your post-bank-holiday blues, if you have any top tips to add then please tweet to let us know, after all we’re all in this together!

Once your brains are back into full productivity mode then be sure to check out some of our latest creative, strategic and digital work here or drop us a line at either our Marlow or Nottingham office today to discuss your next project.

Thanks for reading!

Psst! It’s only 17 days until the next bank holiday!!