Why am I more tired after a holiday than after a week at work?
I’ve said it before and I will say it honestly again; I’m no big fan of work that makes me feel tired and drained for energy. Of course, it’s nice to feel a bit tired, so you know you’ve done some work; but when you come home and don’t feel like doing any thing, that’s just wrong.
I’ve always looked forward to my holidays, because that means I don’t have to go to or think about work that period of time. Lately that has changed for some strange unknown reason. I still look forward to the holiday, but now with a hint of scepticism.
Sometimes I for some very odd and unknown reason I actually now and then feel more relaxed after a week at work than after having a holiday for a week. I know that sounds strange, even illogical, but it’s true.
I do have a theory about why, so bare with me.
When you are working you know you will be tired when you go home, so you try to prioritise to the extreme. You do you’re best at getting to bed early and be very good at buying food for most of the week. Then you try to do some relaxing activities at home after work, like watching TV, writing or playing games. During the weekend you either party, do something fun or just stay at home being lazy to avoid thinking about work. Not everyone does it of course, but those who do this follow a very strict routine to cope with work so they don’t get burned out. Doing this can of course seem tedious, but in the end you might be the one not going bonkers at work, with a gun.
Now when the holiday come you are so tired of being held back by your routine you kind of forget what structure is. Instead of keeping to the same routine, you try to go with the flow and think everything will be nice and dandy. The biggest mistake we do when on holiday is that we act like this is the last holiday in our life, so we try to do everything that week. We try to run all the errands that week, go to all the parties, play all your games, meet all your friends and family, do something you’ve never done before and what not. You even stay up late and turn the day around. Suddenly you have more deadlines in a week than you have in one year at work.
What you need to do is to not plan your holiday to the second, but list a few things you would like to do; and then do them in your own order. It’s not important if you don’t manage to get to do all your things on the list; because you might only manage to do one thing. The most important is that you have fun and of course feel relaxed so you can feel like you had a really good holiday. Turn off your mobile phone, don’t make any promises, dare to be lazy and say no to people. If people ask you what you did on your holiday you should feel proud to say: “I did absolutely nothing at all for a whole week, and I feel great.”
Note: What inspired me was Christmas 2008. I think I’ve never been that exhausted before, during a holiday. Next holiday I will be the most useless person alive. Or at least try being annnoyingly useless.
