Post-holiday syndrome: fact or fantasy?

People say that human beings are born to work. However, not all are enthusiastic about endless employment. As a result, holidays have been invented to allow a break for hardworking people, encouraging them "to work hard and play hard." However, instead of coming back refreshed and excited after the fun, what often accompanies the end of a holiday are feelings of lassitude, tiredness and even boredom about returning to your desk. Doctors name these negative feelings as post-holiday syndrome.

Many bosses and doctors believe that post-holiday syndrome exists both mentally and physically. In order to motivate employee's morale as soon as possible, some companies even offer financial incentives. One Internet user said her company offered 500 yuan ($79) as a prize for those who were not late for work on the first day after the holiday. Other companies give the year-end bonus to employees when they come back to work after the Lunar New Year.

In a more creative fashion, some bosses choose to light strings of firecrackers on the first working day after the Spring Festival, as they believe firecrackers, which can blast for dozens of minutes, would be more powerful than clock alarms in awakening people and getting them back into work.

In fact, so intense is post-holiday syndrome that it does not just strike workers, but also the elderly, students and even pets. For retired senior citizens, Spring Festival is a moment for family reunion, the busiest time of the whole year for them. They thoughtfully arrange accommodation for visiting children and relatives and prepare fancy homemade dinners. However, a sudden feeling of gloom hits them when their sons and daughters have to depart after the holiday.

As for students, they need to stop playing around and get their head down in the books. Some might be a bit sluggish on the uptake and thus strict teachers and parents have come up with a treatment: sending them to shouxin classes, which are literally lessons that help jolt their mind out of holiday mode and back into study mode. The programs are often launched by commercial training companies, which provide short-term one-on-one tutorials to students.

Finally, even pets exhibit unusual syndromes after Spring Festival. Veterinarians found that dogs, who are very dependent on their owners, may feel upset, have diminished energy and enthusiasm when it comes to playing around, and sometimes even vandalize the home. And some timid pets, who have been scarred by the stunning sound of fireworks, may even weep.

Aside from mental problems, doctors remind us that there are a host of physical post-holiday syndromes, including soreness to the eyes, often triggered after excessively playing computer games or mahjong, and watching too much TV. Then there are the illnesses related to digestion due to over-indulgence on the food front.