Without guilt or excessive pressure: getting back into the work routine after the holidays requires adjustment, not immediacy. These are the key points experts suggest for reconnecting
SANTO DOMINGO. – It's Monday and, although the holidays are over, you feel like you're not keeping up, that you've lost your rhythm and it's not exactly exhaustion, but finding your focus is difficult, your body is slow, your mind is scattered and the urgent seems heavier than usual.
After four days without working, reconnecting isn't automatic, so it's good to know that it's not just an individual perception and even has scientific backing.
In psychological literature, it is recognized as "post-vacation syndrome", a readjustment phase in which motivation and the ability to concentrate temporarily decrease, after a period of rest.
American psychologist Mark Travers explained in Forbes on March 19, 2025, that this decline is due to a change in stimuli. During rest, the brain becomes accustomed to novelty and constant reward. Upon returning, it "struggles to readjust to routine," which translates into demotivation and difficulty focusing.
New York University psychology professor Tessa West sums it up more directly: returning to work is “a shock to the system.” This statement, published in 2024 by the specialized publication Advisory Board, points to the abrupt shift from rest to demands.
It's not a lack of discipline, it's adaptation
Returning to work, even after resting, doesn't mean your performance will be the same from day one. One of the most consistent ideas among experts is that the mistake isn't feeling disconnected, but rather demanding immediate high performance.
The Harvard Business Review, in an analysis published in July 2024 by journalist Rebecca Knight, makes a specific recommendation: gradually reintegrate, since trying to recover everything pending on the first day does not accelerate the process, but rather hinders it.
Along the same lines, West insists on adjusting expectations and avoiding overloading the initial agenda: scheduling simple tasks or postponing complex decisions allows the brain to recover its natural rhythm.
The approach is clear: starting small is not procrastination, it's a cognitive strategy.
Yes, you can get some rest
Another point on which experts agree is that abruptly cutting off everything that generated well-being during the holiday can intensify the discomfort.
Clinical psychologist Monica Johnson explained in SELF magazine that incorporating small, enjoyable activities, even on workdays, helps to smooth the transition and maintain some of the balance achieved during rest.
Activities like walking, reading, or simply reserving a space without demands are not a luxury; they are part of the adjustment process.
Reconnecting is not resuming, it's rebuilding
Much has been written on this topic. Psychologist Hrachya Hovhannisyan warned in 2025 that returning to routine can lead to fatigue, low motivation, and difficulty concentrating, even in people who have rested.
The problem is not accumulated fatigue, but the change of pace, and for this reason, various medical publications agree that the readjustment can take several days and forcing it does not accelerate it.
The return to work after Easter, although a short break, highlights that the pace of work isn't always sustainable without breaks. And when the body isn't used to it, even for just a few days, it makes itself known.
It's not about picking up the routine exactly where it left off, but about rebuilding it, because after the holiday, the body doesn't obey orders and so we have to negotiate time.
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