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    • Starting Therapy
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  • DepressionDepression
  • Post Vacation DepressionPost Vacation Depression
  • SymptomsSymptoms
  • CausesCauses
  • PreventionPrevention
  • If Depression LingersIf Depression Lingers
  • ConclusionConclusion
  • ResourcesResources
  • InfographicsInfographics

Post Vacation Depression: What It Is & How to Cope

Headshot of Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW

Written by: Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW

Headshot of Trishanna Sookdeo, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Reviewed by: Trishanna Sookdeo, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Published: April 20, 2023
Headshot of Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW
Written by:

Alisha Powell

PhD, LCSW
Headshot of Trishanna Sookdeo, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Reviewed by:

Trishanna Sookdeo

MD, MPH, FAAFP

Post vacation depression, while not a clinical term, is defined by three days to two weeks after a vacation in which someone experiences varied symptoms of depression. You may feel a sense of relief to have made it home safely, but still have concurrent feelings of grief because life will return to your usual routine. While you won’t always be able to avoid post vacation depression, you can manage it in healthy ways.1

You don’t have to face depression alone. BetterHelp has over 25,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $60 per week. Take A Free Online Assessment to get matched with a therapist.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp

Free Assessment

What Is Depression?

Clinical depression or major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mood disorder marked by an intense and persistent low mood and loss of interest in pleasurable activities for most of nearly every day for at least two weeks. Symptoms of depression can vary in severity and intensity depending on the person, but MDD is generally a debilitating mental health condition that interferes with a person’s ability to function and handle everyday tasks.2

Some common symptoms of depression include:2

  • Feelings of sadness, helplessness, and/or emptiness
  • Disinterest in activities that used to be enjoyable
  • Changes in appetite resulting in weight loss or weight gain
  • Problems with sleep
  • Lack of energy
  • Feeling irritable
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Body aches, headaches, or digestive issues
  • Suicidal thoughts

What Is Post Vacation Depression?

Post-vacation depression, or post-vacation syndrome, can be understood as an emotional state after vacations and holiday breaks in which a person struggles to get back to their everyday life. Post-vacation syndrome is not an official disorder, but  someone can experience depressed mood, distress, insomnia, irritability, and fatigue after a vacation. Basically, the return to the home environment and/or the re-direction of life after periods of leisure (time off work, holidays, traveling etc.) can cause distress in some people.3

Symptoms of Post Vacation Blues

Experiencing post-vacation depression (or post vacation blues) can be difficult. You may find yourself daydreaming about your vacation, obsessively scrolling through the pictures, or impulsively looking up flights to book your next getaway. It can be easy to equate vacations with peace, rejuvenation, and an escape from responsibility.

Symptoms of post vacation depression can include:

  • Being easily irritated or upset
  • Difficulty concentrating or focusing
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Obsessively looking for your next vacation
  • Intense feelings of sadness
  • Work depression
  • Lack of motivation
  • Mental exhaustion
  • Work anxiety

Why Do I Feel Depressed After Vacation?

Returning to your source of stress whether it’s home, work, or school, can feel depressing and also increase feelings of anxiety.4 Post-vacation depression can be an indication that you need more tools to healthily manage stress in your daily life.

How to Prevent Post Vacation Depression: 18 Tips

After vacation, when you have no motivation, depression can become difficult to deal with; however, there are healthy ways to manage symptoms. These methods include building a transition period into your return to “real life,” documenting your trip with photos or a journal, cleaning your house before you leave, and making a self-care plan in advance.

Here are 18 tips for how to get out of a funk related to post vacation blues:

1. Build In an Extra Transition Day Before Going Back to Work

Travel can be unpredictable and you never know when there will be an unexpected delay. Consider giving yourself an extra day of “vacation” at home so you can rest and catch up on any tasks you need to do before returning to work.

2. Document Your Trip With Pictures & Journaling

Consider getting a photo album and printing out the pictures from your trip. Creating a scrapbook of your memories can be comforting and soothing, too.6 You’ll be able to revisit your happy vacation memories in future.

3. Clean Your House Before Leaving

It’s hard coming home from vacation but it’s even harder coming home to a list of household tasks to complete. Coming back to a clean house can give you a sense of peace.7 Make the extra effort to do some housekeeping before you leave so you can rest and relax when you arrive home.

4. Make a Self-Care Plan

The benefits of self-care are immense, so take a few minutes to plan activities or practices you can implement during the week you return from vacation. A relaxing bath, warm beverage, or a good book can help you manage exhaustion and post vacation depression.8

5. Focus On Getting Enough Sleep

It’s easy to downplay the importance of sleep, but it’s challenging to be productive when you don’t feel well rested. Practice giving yourself an 8-hour window to create a restful environment and wind down to sleep.

6. Buy Meaningful Souvenirs

When you’re on vacation, consider bringing something memorable home. It may not be expensive, but it should remind you of the experience.9,10 For example, ornaments, magnets, and coffee mugs are great souvenirs that don’t take up a lot of luggage space.

7. Seek Additional Support

Schedule time to catch up with a friend or reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Having social support can be beneficial for your mental and physical health.5 Also, consider talking to a prescriber about the possibility of taking medication if your symptoms last longer than six weeks.

Help For Depression

Talk Therapy – Get help from a licensed therapist. Betterhelp offers online therapy starting at $60 per week. Free Assessment


Psychiatry for Depression – Looking for depression treatment that prioritizes you? Talkiatry can help. Find an in-network psychiatrist you can see online. Get started with our short assessment.  Visit Talkiatry

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp and Talkiatry.

8. Utilize Employee Benefits Like an EAP

Many full-time positions offer some type of Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This gives you the opportunity to talk to a licensed mental health therapist for 3 to 6 solution-focused therapeutic sessions.11 Contact your human resources department to find out about the process of getting a referral.

9. Validate Your Emotions

Manage your internal dialogue and practice some self-compassion if you’re feeling depressed after vacation. Give yourself some encouragement, too.12 The change of pace from being on vacation to being confronted with the stresses of your daily life can be difficult. Give yourself permission to feel.

10. Practice Mindfulness

Starting a meditation practice and incorporating grounding techniques into your daily routine can be a healthy way to manage stress.13 Additionally, it can help bring you back to the present moment and improve your focus and concentration.

11. Take PTO Days

You may be experiencing post vacation blues because you feel burned out. Consider taking time off from work more frequently.14 Take an extended weekend every other month or tack on an extra day or two to a holiday week.

12. Use Time Blocks

Create a plan for what you want to accomplish and set time aside to complete the tasks you can’t avoid. Prioritize the most important things and accomplish those tasks first.

13. Create a Vacation Fund

Consider putting aside a certain percentage of your income into a savings account specifically for vacation. While it doesn’t need to be a large amount, the funds will add up if you don’t give yourself easy access to the account.15 Ideally it needs to be an automatic transfer so you’re not thinking about the money you’re “missing.”

14. Plan Ahead for the Future

Think about how many days you want to take off in a year and use a calendar to plan it all out. If major holidays are the most important, schedule your time off around them. If you prefer traveling at non-peak times, pick some weekends or days that work for your schedule.

15. Take Inventory of Your Goals

Reflect on what traveling means to you and how it contributes to your emotional well-being. Maybe it’s time to dedicate more time and resources towards an activity that genuinely brings you joy and fulfillment.

16. Focus on the Small Things

Consider adding an activity or outing during your vacation that is more service oriented. Volunteer your time or services to a non-profit organization that has a cause you believe in.16 This can provide a healthy perspective on some of the positive aspects of your life.

17. Create a Ritual

Create an activity around returning home from vacation that makes you feel good.16 Whether you create a special meal or add vacation pictures to a scrapbook, it gives you a tradition to remember the time that you had on vacation.17

18. Disrupt Your Routine

Regardless of what you did on your vacation, it certainly broke your routine. Now, as you acclimate back to your everyday life, you find it boring and feel unmotivated. One way to bring a little excitement into your regular life is by disrupting your routine in subtle ways. For example, consider taking up a new hobby, planning a mini-trip, going to new places in your area, or anything else that can give you a sense of joy and something to look forward to.

What to Do if Post Depression Blues Linger

If you can’t seem to shake your post vacation depression, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. It may be a sign of a larger mental health issue. If you don’t know where to start, consider finding a therapist in an online directory. They can help you reflect on and cope with feelings of sadness.

Final Thoughts On Post Vacation Depression

If you experience post-vacation depression, it doesn’t mean that something’s wrong with you. Exploring what helps you manage it in a healthy way can mean the difference between going into a deeper depression or adjusting back into your normal routine.

Additional Resources

Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy may be compensated for marketing by the companies mentioned below.

Talk Therapy 

Online-Therapy.com – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. Online-Therapy.com provides 45 minute weekly video sessions and unlimited text messaging with your therapist for only $64/week. Get Started

Online Psychiatry

Hims / Hers – If you’re living with anxiety or depression, finding the right medication match may make all the difference. Get FDA approved medication prescribed by your dedicated Hims / Hers Healthcare Provider and delivered right to your door. Plans start at $25 per month (first month)*. Get Started

Depression Newsletter

A free newsletter from Choosing Therapy for those impacted by depression. Get helpful tips and the latest information. Sign Up

Learn Anti-Stress & Relaxation Techniques

Mindfulness.com – Change your life by practicing mindfulness. In a few minutes a day, you can start developing mindfulness and meditation skills. Free Trial

Choosing Therapy Directory 

You can search for therapists by specialty,  experience, insurance, or price, and location. Find a therapist today.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by Online-Therapy, Hims / Hers, and Mindfulness.com. *Hims / Hers Disclaimer: Subscription required. After first month, price is $85/month for a monthly subscription or $49/month for a three-month subscription ($123 for first order, $147 billed quarterly thereafter). Subscription automatically renews unless you cancel at least 7 days before renewal is processed.

For Further Reading

  • Habitat for Humanity (for vacation volunteering)
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 
  • Mental Health America
  • National Alliance on Mental Health
  • MentalHealth.gov

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Depression and OCD: How Are They Related?

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This content is sponsored By NOCD.

Post Vacation Depression Infographics

Symptoms of Post Vacation Blues How to Deal with Post Vacation Depression How to Deal with Post Vacation Depression (2)

Sources Update History

Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.

  • McMahan, D. (2013, May 9). Do Well Needed Vacations Actually Bum Us Out? Retrieved from NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/do-well-needed-vacations-actually-bum-us-out-flna1c9846532

  • (1) American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

  • Pappas, N., & Bregoli, I. (2016). Global dynamics in travel, tourism, and hospitality (1st ed., pp. 70–84). IGI Global.

  • Elliott, C. (2017, August 17). As Summer Draws to a Close, a Primer on Beating the Post-Vacation Blues. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/as-summer-draws-to-a-close-a-primer-on-beating-the-post-vacation-blues/2017/08/17/e1547a1a-7c4d-11e7-9d08-b79f191668ed_story.html

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, May 5). Mental Health Conditions: Depression and Anxiety. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/depression-anxiety.html

  • FioRito, T., Geiger, A., & Routledge, C. (2021). Creative Nostalgia: Social and Psychological Benefits of Scrapbooking. Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 98-1 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07421656.2020.1748986

  • Cleveland Clinic. (2022, April). How Spring Cleaning Is Good for Your Health. Retrieved from Cleveland Clinic: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-spring-cleaning-isnt-just-good-for-your-home-but-your-mood-too/

  • Glowiak, M. (2020, April 14). What is Self-Care and Why is it Important For You? Retrieved from Southern New Hampshire University: https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/health/what-is-self-care

  • Sthapit, E., & Bjork, P. (2017, July 18). Relative contributions of souvenirs on memorability of a trip experience and revisit intention: a study of visitors to Rovaniemi, Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 1-26. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15022250.2017.1354717?journalCode=sjht20

  • Gleason, M., & Bornstein, J. (2020). Social Support and Health. The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119057840.ch122

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022, May 22). Provide Support. Retrieved from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: https://www.samhsa.gov/workplace/toolkit/provide-support

  • Harvard Health. (2022, February 2). The Power of Self Compassion. Retrieved from Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-power-of-self-compassion

  • NIH News in Health. (2021, June). Mindfulness for your Health. Retrieved from NIH News in Health: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/06/mindfulness-your-health

  • Sarkis, C. (2019, November 4). How to Maximize Your Vacations, No Matter How Much Time Off You’re Allotted. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2019/11/04/time-off-how-to-maximize-vacations-based-on-your-pto/4124461002/

  • Granite State Credit Union. (2017, February 8). Building a Last Minute Vacation Fund. Retrieved from Granite State Credit Union: https://www.gscu.org/post/building_a_lastminute_vacation_fund.html

  • Hayes, M. (2019, December 5). 5 Types of Volunteer Vacations that Can Take You Around the World. Retrieved from Northwestern Mutual: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/5-types-of-volunteer-vacations-that-can-take-you-around-the-world/

  • Smith, M. (2021, December 24). 3 Small Tweaks that Help You Recharge During Your Time Off, According to Mental Health Experts. Retrieved from CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/24/the-best-ways-to-recharge-during-your-time-off-according-to-experts.html

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We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.

April 20, 2023
Author: No Change
Reviewer: No Change
Primary Changes: Updated for readability and clarity. Reviewed and added relevant resources. Added “What Is Depression?”, “What Is Post Vacation Depression?”, and “Disrupt Your Routine”. New material written by Lydia Antonatos, LMHC, and reviewed by Kristen Fuller, MD.
July 19, 2022
Author: Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW
Reviewer: Trishanna Sookdeo, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Show more

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