Did everyone have a good Golden Week? It can be hard to go back to work after a nice vacation. The Japanese even have a term for it- "gogatsu byo"- literally May sickness , probably more accurately described as May depression or burnout. The thinking is, the new school/job/financial year starts in April, then comes Golden Week in May- either knocking you off your groove if you're adjusting to work or reminding you of the relaxing life you're missing if not. Combine that with the fickle early summer weather (say what they like about having four seasons- recently it seems spring is skipped entirely in Japan!) and it's a recipe for fatigue.

 

To help combat gogatsu byo, try these tips on preventing burnout from helpguide.org:

 

Start the day with a relaxing ritual. Rather jumping out of bed as soon as you wake up, spend at least fifteen minutes meditating, writing in your journal, doing gentle stretches, or reading something that inspires you.

Adopt healthy eating, exercising, and sleeping habits. When you eat right, engage in regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, you have the energy and resilience to deal with life's hassles and demands. 

Set boundaries. Don't overextend yourself. Learn how to say "no" to requests on your time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that saying "no" allows you to say "yes" to the things that you truly want to do.

Take a daily break from technology. Set a time each day when you completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and stop checking email.

Nourish your creative side. Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout. Try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favorite hobby. Choose activities that have nothing to do with work.

Learn how to manage stress. When you're on the road to burnout, you may feel helpless. But you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. Learning how to manage stress can help you regain your balance.

 

And if those don't work, take heart- summer vacation isn't so far away!

 

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