Author Topic: Effect of a great vacation on mental state  (Read 4975 times)

frugalecon

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Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« on: August 19, 2017, 06:49:56 PM »
Just returned from a great vacation, and I am dreading going back to work. I kept thinking "I wonder if this is what retirement is like?" Weird to think that vacation that is great could lead to depression upon returning to work.

GenXbiker

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2017, 06:58:37 PM »
I always think the same after returning from vacation, but I get back in the groove immediately upon returning to work.

Re3iRtH

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2017, 09:23:52 PM »
Agree with GenX. I dread going back to work because the vacation is always so bad-ass. You don't want it to end!

DTaggart

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2017, 03:54:44 PM »
Oh man, last week was back to work for me after a wonderfully relaxing week off. It was awful, 1000x worse than before I'd gone on vacation. I think for me it was largely exacerbated by the fact that I'm less than 1 year til FIRE so I'm really just ready be done.

But I guess that part of it might also be that now we don't have the vacation to look forward to. Maybe planning something fun to anticipate will help? I think I'll try that.

BAMxi

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2017, 01:44:38 PM »
i have also experienced this. I don't think it's uncommon. The last week+ vacation we took to a fancy resort in Mexico (very  unmustachian) was even partly affected by my depression of having to go back to work when it was all over. I felt like I couldn't fully enjoy myself and forget about work. Like that Sunday night feeling on steroids. Still way better to be a little unhappy on the beach than miserable in a cubicle (i've also since quit that job, which is good).

Eric

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2017, 03:13:45 PM »
I spent 11 days in Mexico in February, most of it outdoors.  When I got back to work, the florescent lights in my office were burning my eyes and just felt so..........wrong.  Of course after 2 days, I couldn't even tell anymore.

Letj

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2017, 05:06:36 PM »
Just returned from a great vacation, and I am dreading going back to work. I kept thinking "I wonder if this is what retirement is like?" Weird to think that vacation that is great could lead to depression upon returning to work.

I was in a total funk the entire week last week having just returned from vacation. The freedom to do whatever I wanted was just priceless. The entire week I fantasized about never having to work again.

FireHiker

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2017, 05:52:18 PM »
Always, after every vacation. That's why we're working hard to make our FIRE goals happen.

clarkfan1979

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2017, 06:16:25 PM »
Just returned from a great vacation, and I am dreading going back to work. I kept thinking "I wonder if this is what retirement is like?" Weird to think that vacation that is great could lead to depression upon returning to work.

I think this makes sense to me and would a common response.

However, my wife and I created a lifestyle that doesn't really require any vacations to "unwind". We travel to visit friends and family, but that's about it. It's fun, but it's not "relaxing" or "depressing" when we get back.

wordnerd

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2017, 06:19:31 PM »
I feel like this right now after a (mostly low-key) 3-day weekend! Maybe it's time to get out? :)

undercover

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2017, 06:55:20 AM »
You do get a temporary high, but it doesn't take long to revert back to how you felt prior to the vacation.

I always have this "everything makes more sense" feeling when I get back. Would be nice if it lasted.

Being able to do whatever you want whenever you want is both a good and bad thing. Yes, having the option is great, but - I think to stay happy, you always need to be doing a little of things you don't necessarily want to do (going out of comfort zone). In other words I don't think traveling continuously with no work in between would keep anyone happy forever (although traveling in itself sometimes feels like work). But yes, being able to do whatever you want whenever you want as long as there's still balance will absolutely improve your quality of life.

Schaefer Light

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2017, 07:23:09 AM »
For the past couple of years, I've experienced a sense of dread BEFORE leaving for vacation because I knew it was just a temporary escape and I'd feel like crap coming back to my "real life" afterwards.  I think what I really need to change is my "real life".

Duchess of Stratosphear

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2017, 08:42:30 AM »
A couple of years ago I found my bike tour vacation to be a completely refreshing reset that helped me cope with work (at least for a little while), but this year my bike tour vaca just made it harder to go back to work and sit on my ass for eight hours everyday. I am so over not being master of my own time that I'm not sure anything could help me at this point except retirement, which is sadly many years away. I'm still better off for having done vacation, though. I hung out with fun people and got lots of exercise. But the contrast between that and work just makes work seem even more horrible and life sucking.

farmecologist

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2017, 09:03:59 AM »
What has helped us to mitigate the feeling of 'the blues' upon arriving back from a vacation is to immediately start planning the next one.  This allows us to have something to look forward to.  I think the lack of looking forward to another getaway is what causes many people to feel depressed.

By the way, I really enjoy planning road trips.  Google MyMaps can really be a great tool to help with that.  I have shown this in a couple other threads but here is a map of our recent trip :

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xHF9v2dpDqkYzE939LNQDA07UR0&ll=37.481969510288806%2C-111.24517753906252&z=7

Yes, we researched all of those points on the map.  It took a long time but 'kept me busy' planning so the time in between trips didn't seem so long.



Vegasgirl

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #14 on: August 22, 2017, 09:14:23 AM »
I went through a good five year period where I decided I was not taking vacation for this very reason, the dread and anguish upon return.  Instead I was using my leave for long weekends as often as possible.  This was irritating my DH as he wanted to actually go on vacation so two years ago I decided to revert back to going on actual vacations for one week at a time, no more.  This is all I can take.  When we get back I am literally still off for two or three days before returning to work because I'm exhausted from it all. 

Thankfully now I'm close enough to FIRE (2 years out) and I've got enough leave accumulated that I never have to work 5 days again.  From here on out it's 4 days per week plus a few weeks off here and there.  I do feel fortunate to be accumulating enough leave and have enough saved to be able to pull this off for the next/last two years of employment.

Fishindude

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Re: Effect of a great vacation on mental state
« Reply #15 on: August 22, 2017, 09:49:27 AM »
I'll let you know.
Leaving for Alaska tomorrow.