Coming back from a vacation or holiday break and re-entering your regular routine can be a rough transition. It can be especially bumpy for teens, who are already enduring lots of change and don’t yet have the ability to regulate their emotions. Irritability, sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and even depression-like symptoms can be common among teens experiencing the post-vacation blues.
There are a few things that can ease this transition and help teens develop a more balanced response to the post-vacation period. However, if your teen is exhibiting severe symptoms of distress, they could be dealing with more than just a post-vacation letdown. Conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and seasonal affective disorder can have some similar symptoms, so it’s important to know the difference between typical post-holiday moodiness and something more serious. Either way, there are ways to help your teen get back on track.
What You’ll Learn
- What are some common symptoms of post-vacation blues?
- What does it mean if your teen exhibits signs of sadness for more than two weeks?
- How can you help your teen readjust after a vacation or holiday break?
- How can mental health treatment help if your teen is experiencing more than just the blues?
Quick Read
Post-vacation blues can be a challenging experience for teens as they transition back into their regular routines after a holiday break. Common symptoms include irritability, sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and even signs resembling depression. This emotional turbulence can be particularly pronounced in adolescents, who often struggle with impulse control and emotional regulation due to their developing brains. While some moodiness is typical, it’s crucial to differentiate between normal post-vacation feelings and more serious mental health issues that could persist beyond two weeks.
The abrupt end to the excitement and dopamine surge from vacation can lead to a withdrawal-like state, making it tough for teens to readjust. The initial days back can be especially rough, particularly if they lack a buffer period to ease into their daily life. If symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, and changes in appetite continue or worsen, it may indicate a deeper issue, such as depression, ADHD, or bipolar disorder, which requires professional attention.
To support teens during this transition, several strategies can be implemented. Preparing ahead of time by managing schoolwork and scheduling buffer days for relaxation can help ease the adjustment. Encouraging family discussions about favorite vacation moments can foster gratitude and anticipation for future breaks. Additionally, allowing teens the space to express their feelings and validating their experiences can create an environment of understanding and support.
If your teen exhibits severe symptoms or struggles to regain their routine, it’s essential to seek help from mental health professionals. Early intervention can make a significant difference in their ability to thrive. By providing the right support and resources, parents can help their teens navigate the challenges of post-vacation blues and promote their overall well-being.
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What Are the Post-Vacation Blues?
Having a great vacation or holiday break means an increase in dopamine. The excitement of doing new things, seeing friends or family, getting out of school or work, holiday festivities, or enjoying the outdoors can cause a surge of feel-good chemicals in our brains.
But when it’s over, the abrupt cut-off of that dopamine flow can leave us feeling down and out. We go back to the normal hum-drum of work and school, and any personal problems we might have been dealing with return in full force.
While we adults may be used to changing gears like this (though not immune from all its effects), teens are newer to the experience and may have a harder time making the adjustment. In fact, they may exhibit some symptoms of the post-vacation blues, including:
- Mood swings
- Increased irritability
- Fatigue or excess sleepiness
- Depression
- Changes in appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Apathy
Because their brains are still developing, teens have a decreased ability to control their impulses and regulate their emotions. The hormonal changes they’re undergoing can also play a role in their mood swings, and the post-vacation blues can add an exclamation point to already volatile attitudes and behaviors.
How Long Do the Post-Vacation Blues Last?
The first few days after a break may be fairly rough for teens, especially if they don’t have a day or half a day to reacclimate to their daily life. Having leisurely vacation mornings and then suddenly having to wake up bright and early again may be very difficult for some adolescents. The sudden absence of fun and excitement and the presence of schoolwork, routine, and having to concentrate is a recipe for stress and irritability among teens.
If teens continue to exhibit the symptoms of post-vacation blues for longer than a period of two weeks, and those symptoms seem to be getting worse, they may be dealing with something more serious.
Signs of Mental Health Issues in Teens
Mood swings are expected among teenagers, but there are times when extreme teen moodiness is a sign of a possible mental health issue. If the post-vacation blues are severe in your teen, it may be time to consider whether there’s a medical issue or mental health condition at play.
Here are signs to watch for, especially if they last for longer than a two week period:
- Serious changes in appetite, such as binge eating, control of food, or frequent lack of appetite
- Increased sadness, feelings of worthlessness, apathy, crying, fits of anger, and changes in sleep patterns
- Increased irritability, extreme anger, physical violence, threats of violence
- Isolating behaviors, including withdrawal from friends and relationships or major changes in social patterns
- Rapid speech, hyperactivity, increased anxiety, increased risk-taking behaviors
- Inability to concentrate, sleep problems, severe mood swings, difficulty making decisions, difficulty calming down
- Thoughts of suicide or plans of suicide
Mental health issues like depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder can look like the post-vacation blues at first, but their symptoms will continue and may worsen over time. If your teen’s symptoms get more serious or last for more than two weeks, reach out to a treatment professional for guidance and to get support for your teen.
If your teen is having thoughts of suicide, please reach out to a treatment professional immediately. This could be a sign of severe depression or another condition that needs treatment.
How to Help Teens Adjust After a Vacation or Break
There are ways to alleviate the post-vacation blues and help teens learn how to adjust after vacation or holiday breaks. Here are just a few:
Prepare ahead of time.
If there’s schoolwork that needs to be turned in after the break, encourage your teen to start on it early so they aren’t in a rush when they get home. Consider moving appointments so that you don’t have busy days right when you return.
Build in buffer days.
Try to build in a day or half a day after your vacation for teens to come home and recuperate before heading back to school. Make this day a leisure day where they can sleep in and you can reminisce about what you enjoyed from your vacation.
Share the “best things.”
Let each person in your family talk about the “best things” from the vacation or break. Have a discussion about how to build those things into the next vacation. Consider this a brainstorming time where you can all express gratitude for what you loved and start anticipating the next break.
Allow permission to adjust.
If your teen is having trouble adjusting to their return from vacation, be relaxed about it. If they are having sleep issues or aren’t feeling well, especially if they’re dealing with jet lag, consider letting them stay home for another day. However, if their issues worsen and they continue to resist getting back into a routine for a number of days, have a conversation and get a treatment professional involved.
Listen and empathize.
Your teen may have lots of thoughts and feelings that may come out as irritation or complaints. Sit down and listen to what they’re really feeling without interrupting. Then, talk about how you feel and be honest—say that you enjoyed your vacation and you feel a little stressed about getting back into routine, too. Even if your conversation is brief, it can make your teen feel heard.
Alternatively to the post-vacation blues, some teens may experience summer depression, where they miss being involved with school friends and doing school-related activities; they may also have the fear of missing out based on what other people are doing or the vacations they’re taking. Spending quality time together, doing fun things, and a break from social media (and devices in general) can help reduce your teen’s summer depression.
Mental Health Support for Teens
If your teen is experiencing serious symptoms that seem like more than the post-vacation blues, treatment can help. Our program serves teens ages 12–18 with evidence-based treatment for mental health and co-occurring disorders. We have locations in major cities across the country and work with several insurance providers to make care affordable. Get in touch with us to learn more.
Irritability, sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and even depression-like symptoms can be common among teens experiencing the post-vacation blues.
The excitement of doing new things, seeing friends or family, getting out of school or work, and enjoying the outdoors can cause a surge of feel-good chemicals in our brains. But when it’s over, the abrupt cut-off of that dopamine flow can create a withdrawal-like feeling that may leave us feeling down and out. Teens have more difficulty regulating their emotions and dealing with this withdrawal. If the post-vacation blues are severe in your teen, it may be time to consider whether there’s a medical issue or mental health condition at play.
Mental health issues like depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder can look like the post-vacation blues at first, but their symptoms will continue and may worsen over time.
There are a number of things you can do to help your teen recover from the post-vacation blues, including creating buffer days to help them adjust after vacation and talking about your vacation highlights and planning the next one or something else to look forward to.
