Surviving the holiday

休みモード

A few years ago I learnt a Japanese phrase, 休みモード (yasumi mode). This literally means 'holiday mode.'

Last week was the Golden Week vacation in Japan. There are four public holidays in the space of one week and many people take the whole week off so four public holidays turn into a 10 day vacation which, believe me, in Japan for many people is like Christmas, birthdays, Easter and Thanksgiving all rolled into one.

It's Thursday today and I'm still feeling bad about being back working (even though I worked most mornings of Golden Week).

I thought that I was going to be excited about getting back to work after Golden Week but the whole week I have felt really 'blah.'

I honestly, didn't think that this would affect me so much. And the whole idea of Gogatsubyo or May Sickness has become real for me this week.

Or so I thought ....

I'm not a big drinker however during Golden Week I managed to drink everyday. I had beer and vodka (not at the same time).

While I was doing that I had the odd plate of junk food. Pizza, hamburger, chocolate and my personal favourite, fish and chips were all consumed so that by the time the end of the holiday rolled around I was not feeling the best.

My question today is:

Do we dread going back to work or is other things that make it seem like a real drag?

Was it the fact that I had had a a half a year fill of alcohol inside a week that made me not want to go to work or workout at the gym for that matter?

I understand people who have bosses may not want to go back to their work after a vacation because he or she is grumpy and then suddenly five minutes after you get in the door they are on your back almost like punishment for being away.

However is the feeling exaggerated by consumption of all the alcohol and junk food?

Quite possibly.

What is the solution?

Well, that is easier said than done but remember that your goals and objectives are not just a five day a week thing or a 48 week a year system. These things are 7 days a week and 52 days a year.

By all means have a beer but only if you really want one. Eat that plate of fish and chips but don't make it a daily habit. Remember that your goals are a continuous thing and they don't stop for holidays.