Re-entry syndrome? This prevents

What could be more natural, after the summer holidays, than not wanting to go back to work, the city and routine? Nothing, but you have to see to what extent the “re-entry stress” interferes with the necessary daily activities.

Does returning home make us nervous and in a bad mood, preventing us from taking pleasure from the many opportunities for leisure and social interaction that life and the usual context still offer?

And do we dream of bridges on the snow and Christmas trees already in mid-September? We are in the grip of the most classic “re-entry stress”.

One in 10 Italians suffers from it, Istat reveals, and in some cases the diagnosis of re-entry syndrome can even compromise health, and therefore the resumption of professional activities.

The confirmation comes from a recent research conducted at Radboud University, Holland, which shows that 2 days of return to everyday life are enough to lose any psychophysical benefit produced by a nice holiday.

The survey coordinated by Jessica de Bloom, an expert in stress management, recorded, among the disorders reported by the interviewees, anxiety, frustration, irritability, boredom and lack of concentration.

So, give up holidays? Never, indeed, the ideal would be to be able to do more, perhaps shorter and distributed throughout the year. Or, set up a real re-entry strategy to combat the “post vacation blues”. Starting with physical activity.

In order not to risk living badly for one or more weeks, it is necessary to react. A bit forcing yourself to think positive and to see the pleasant aspects in everyday activities.

A bit by focusing on a healthy lifestyle, able to put the body in the best conditions to face change and restart momentum.

The watchword is gradualness

To put a stop to this malaise, according to experts, it is essential to gradually prepare for change. Since the main reason for the return syndrome lies in the difficulty in readjusting to the rhythms of the city, it is advisable to prepare when you are still on vacation.

When the holidays are coming to an end, for example, it would be better not to stay up late and get up early in the morning as if you were going to work.

In addition, it is unthinkable to return from vacation on Sunday evening to resume work on Monday morning: the body needs to get used to the usual rhythms and it takes a few days. Just 2 or 3, during which to continue the good and fun habits taken on vacation.

For example, taking long walks or cycling, going swimming in the pool, booking the tennis court or inviting friends for the ritual of photos / videos with an attached game of table tennis, going out to the bowling alley, even a darts competition can be useful. In short, the important thing is not to surrender to the armchair and TV.

Movement and balance

Whether the holidays were challenging or regenerating, fun or disastrous, they certainly offered the opportunity to get away from the established rhythms and have new ideas.

But it is not always easy to force them into the grids of the agenda and channel them along the path between office and family.

The first risk, therefore, is to feel a bit ‘prisoner of their own rhythms and intolerant of those that have always been quiet and reassuring habits.

Undoubtedly, to find serenity and harmony you need an outlet. Physical activity is, without a doubt, the best remedy.

It relaxes the nerves, relaxes and, after some initial effort, improves the level of energy and physical fitness, allowing you to last any beneficial effects of the holiday or to lose those 2-3 kilos accumulated between dinners with friends and peaceful afternoons of rest on the beach.

A little movement every day also helps you sleep better, wake up more easily in the morning and feel more positive and motivated from the beginning of the day: that’s no small thing.

Of course, you should not overdo it and choose the physical activity to be practiced according to your inclinations and your potential, perhaps looking for new stimuli in the proposals of courses that typically multiply at the beginning of autumn.

It takes something fun, which releases tension and distracts from the resumption of routine:

• Fly Boxing. The techniques of boxing to the rhythm of music, an aerobic sport that combines the philosophy of martial arts with fun. Also useful as self-defense, it involves all the muscles of the body.
• Aquawave. For those who love the pool. All the benefits of water associated with a series of fitness exercises suitable for everyone, with music.
• Power Yoga. No new age and meditation, this type of activity is inspired by the oriental discipline but makes it much more dynamic and similar to fitness exercises.

If you want to know more, read the dossier Mental fatigue.

Summer is ending

Days a little shorter every day, fewer hours of light: the return syndrome, for holidaymakers in August and September, also corresponds to the approach of autumn. 

The most affected by these changes is the hypothalamus, an area of the brain predisposed to supervise the sleep/wake rhythm and the activity of the well-being hormones: serotonin and melatonin. 

To avoid the potentially negative effects of late summer, experts advise:

• Engage in light physical activity during the very first hours of the morning. The ideal remains soft jogging (140 calories burnt off in one hour) or a bike ride (280 calories for one hour of pedaling).
• In the office, take frequent short breaks, from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 15 minutes, to stretch out with simple stretching exercises. For those who have a suitable place, use the iPod to dance, preferably in time with the percussion.
• Lunch break or gym? Better to choose a course or free access by dedicating part of the break time to fitness. Frequency is safer; the evening gym, after a whole day’s work on the shoulders, could easily skip due to fatigue. And, in any case, it’s healthier to play sports during the day.
• At least for the first period back from vacation, treat yourself to a few weekends out of town, perhaps dedicated to some special and adventurous sport such as canyoning, rafting, climbing, horse riding.

Energy and serenity on the table

Another fundamental aspect is the diet. A healthy diet, as we know, is the first source of well-being because it ensures the body and mind all the energetic and functional substances essential for supporting an efficient metabolism, keeping oneself intellectually vital and reacting better to external stimuli.

Upon returning from holidays and on the threshold of autumn, following a complete and balanced diet is particularly important, not only to prevent or counteract return stress, but also to prepare impeccable immune defenses in view of the first seasonal viruses.

Once back home and in the days before returning, it is better to avoid overeating, choosing light and wholesome foods to help the body purify itself and get back in shape. 

Especially fruit and vegetables: precious sources of vitamins and mineral salts that help the body adapt to sudden changes

The Mediterranean diet is, as always, the ideal choice to fill up on energy and essential micronutrients such as vitamins and mineral salts and, if followed regularly in the context of an overall healthy lifestyle, is generally sufficient on its own to make up for every need. The essential vitamins for regaining vitality are those of group B, involved in the processes of energy metabolism. Among the minerals, however, magnesiumis fundamental , the lack of which is often associated with tiredness, irritability and muscle pain.

However, considering the change of season and the additional adaptation effort required by the resumption of work or study, if the symptoms do not subside within a few days, it is preferable to consult your doctor and evaluate the opportunity to supplement your diet with multivitamin complexesand minerals able to recharge the body and provide it with all the nutrients it needs. In fact, an extra help does not hurt and can support a faster recovery of vitality and good mood. What type of integration to focus on?

If the difficulties are also accompanied by physical tiredness, the most advantageous choice is to opt for complexes that contain all the vitamins, trace elements and minerals in balanced proportions, easy to take, effective and safe in every respect.

Their beneficial action on a psychophysical level is maximum because many micronutrients work in synergy and only when they are all present in the right quantities can the body function at its best.