Low Motivation at the Beginning of the Semester? How to Overcome Your Post-Holiday Depression!
After a long holiday or a few days of vacation, many students have difficulties getting back to everyday life. You miss the pleasant free time and want the mountains or the beach back.
They have adjusted to the informal life and are brought back to reality from their student duties at the beginning of the semester. And this transition can be tough—so tough that respected psychologists have given it its own name: post-holiday depression.
This depressive phase immediately after a vacation can make you feel down and fall into a slump in performance. The start of the semester then becomes an ordeal and lets every percent of relaxation that you have worked so hard for before going up in smoke.
And: If you’re not careful, a few unmotivated days will turn into a permanent condition that keeps dragging you down and constantly draining your energy. So that doesn’t happen, I’ll show you what you can do about your post-holiday depression.
7 Ways to Overcome Your Post-Holiday Depression
Don’t worry: if you want to save the start of your semester and overcome your lack of motivation after your vacation, a few little tricks are enough to help you get along better in everyday life.
These seven ways will help you:
#1 Don’t fight your mood!
Before you can start overcoming your little down, you must first accept it and accept your situation as it is: you are dissatisfied and want your vacation back. You don’t feel like studying at the moment and would rather do something else. Don’t fool yourself, be honest with yourself and face the facts. Only when you have done that can you decide to tackle your situation and ultimately change it.
#2 Plan Back!
After a longer break, it is difficult to find your way back into the daily structures – especially when you can still determine these structures yourself to a large extent. Therefore, help a little and plan your daily routine in writing. Create a concrete framework that you can use as a guide and plan your next day in advance every evening. Specify important tasks, appointments, deadlines, and breaks, and sign your plan as a sign of your determination.
#3 Set Routines!
Established habits and behavioral patterns will help you find your way back into familiar routines. Remember how you spent your days leading up to your vacation and what routines gave you security and perseverance. How did you start the day earlier? Did you have a morning ritual? What fixed appointments (sports, study group, voluntary work…) did you have? Concentrate on these (or new!) routines at the start of the semester and build on past, successful times.
#4 Get Active!
The key to energizing your student life is activity. Your best hopes, wishes, and goals are useless if you don’t implement them. The problem: In a depressive phase, nothing is as difficult for you as activity. That’s why you shouldn’t overwhelm yourself with big hasty actions. You have to proceed carefully and slowly, with small mini-steps, pick up speed. Break big tasks into small steps, only do one thing at a time, take lots of breaks, check off items on your to-do list, and celebrate every small achievement. You don’t have to do much. Get active slowly – step by step.
#5 Start Something New!
If you are so terribly bored and depressed in your everyday life that you completely block yourself, it is up to you to create new elements to create a spirit of optimism. Start a conscious new beginning, for example by integrating a new habit into your daily routine, starting a new hobby, or breaking up your old patterns through unusual actions. It doesn’t matter what you start – the main thing is that it’s something new that gives you a better quality of life and makes you a little bit happier. 
#6 Meet Other People!
During post-holiday depression, many college students tend to withdraw and avoid social interaction. They feel uncomfortable and therefore isolate themselves from their environment. But it is precisely this behavior that only reinforces the bad mood. So even if you don’t feel like it, meet up with your friends or visit your family. Call your grandma or text an old school friend. Make an appointment with your fellow students to study or go to the canteen with them. Other people are good for you and improve your emotional state.
Conclusion
A small drop in motivation after the holiday is not a big problem in itself – it is something completely normal. But you have to make sure that your sluggish start to the semester doesn’t become permanent and tear you into a full-blown depressive phase.
Therefore, accept your situation and work your way slowly – step by step – back into your everyday student life. Be honest with yourself, create supportive structures, and set motivating goals that get you into action – and keep you going. And, if sometimes a thought creeps into your head “What if I pay someone to write my paper?”, don’t blame yourself and remember that getting help in such situations is okay.
Think back to your last vacation and draw strength from your memories. It’s also okay if you’re sad that this time is over. But you should be at least as grateful for what you were able to experience and look forward twice as much to the opportunities you will have.
You’re not done yet; there is more to come. Do not forget that.
About the Author
Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.
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