We head off on vacation full of excitement and joy. It’s a time to explore somewhere new, relax and spend time with our loved ones.

But almost as soon as we’re home that trip abroad seems like a distant memory. Those relaxing days on the beach, the adventures you had, and fun day trips exploring with your family count for nothing once you’re back in the office. Faced with a huge pile of things to do and an inbox overflowing with emails, the stress piles back on.

But don’t panic! There are lots of things you can do to lift your spirits after a long break and start to feel better again. So here are our 5 top tips to beat the summer blues.

1. Be Kind to Yourself

Your inbox is overflowing unread emails, your manager has handed you a pile of problems to fix and everyone telling you how jealous they are of your beautiful suntan. The temptation is to run out the office screaming, but don’t do that. Take a breath instead. And don’t try to get everything done everything at once – you’re not superhuman.

You’ll feel a huge weight off your shoulders as soon as you start to take control of the situation. And you can’t take control unless you truly understand what you need to do. So write a list of the things you need to get done. Prioritise the most important things and see if you can delegate some of the tasks. Each time you cross something off your list, you’ll feel better and a little happier.

2. Find Your Feet

After a summer break we can feel a little like fish out of water. We’re back in our old surroundings, but we don’t feel at home just yet.

It’s important that we get back into a routine, both in and out of work. Remember to take your regular coffee break, head back to the gym and avoid eating your lunch at your desk!

Exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress and it releases endorphins, which make you feel good. If you’re not part of a gym, try cycling, walking, or even sports with your colleagues or friends after work.

3. Get Centred

Yoga is becoming more and more popular as a way to relax, get fit and socialise. When combined with mediation it can have some real, long-lasting benefits. For example, yoga and meditation can help you:

4. Eat Healthily

When we’re run off our feet, trying to get things done, it’s easily to fall into the habit of eating fast food and unhealthy snacks. Try to avoid this. Sugary foods might give us a quick rush of energy, but we’re soon left feeling tired and sluggish. This means we’ll be less focused throughout the day and even more stressed.

And worse, we might get into a bad habit of eating this food as a pick me up, and creating a cycle of bad eating habits.

Set time aside to prepare healthy food for yourself. Rather than thinking of this as a waste of time, consider it to be an investment in your health, happiness and productivity.

5. Stretch Your Mind

Think of your first few weeks after the summer as a fresh start. Your brain is hungry for something new, so take up a new hobby or join a course – this will help you stay stimulated, happy and focused on positive goals.

It’s a great time to get back into language learning and Oxford House’s English language courses could be just the ticket.

Our dynamic English classes are run by experienced, highly qualified teachers and are tailored to suit your needs. Whether you want to challenge yourself and prepare for a Cambridge or IELTS exam, improve your level of business English, or simply improve your general English – our courses are for you.

So get in touch with our friendly team or pop into the school for a free level test to find out which is the best course for you.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Abroad (n): a foreign country.

Summer blues (exp.): to feel sad after the summer vacation.

Fish out of water (exp.): to feel out of place or strange in a situation.

Run off [our] feet (exp.): to be extremely busy.

Sluggish (adj): to feel tired and without energy.

Pick me up (exp): something to make you feel better temporarily.

Just the ticket (exp.): exactly what you need.

Key

n = noun

exp = expression

adj = adjective

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