The suitcases are unpacked, piles of summer clothes are waiting to be washed and that sinking feeling has set in. Holiday blues are an inevitable part of returning home, along with a fading tan and depleted bank balance. It's estimated more than 60 million days are wasted every year by UK holidaymakers trying to get back into their normal routine after an overseas trip, according to Post Office travel services.

One minute it's Greek salads and sand between your toes, the next you're grocery shopping and donning a sensible coat.

Life coach Claire Bradford, of Straightforward Coaching, based in Worthing, says: "In going away, you leave behind all normal responsibilities. It's a very positive experience.

"You are going towards the sun, spending time with your family and doing things you normally squeeze into a couple of hours of the day.

"When you come back, you are reminded of all the stresses and negative things about your life that drain you. They are things you get used to after a while but you see them all afresh when you return from holiday."

However, that post-holiday hangover doesn't have to give you a headache. Here's how to prolong your sumer break and hang on to that holiday feeling.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

The key to re-capturing that care-free mood is to think about the things you really enjoyed on your break, according to Bradford.

"When we are on holiday, we go out for meals with family or friends and spend the evenings chatting to people and socialising.

"As soon as we get home, we tend to stop doing that and slump in front of the TV for hours. My number one piece of advice for people who want to keep that holiday feeling is to turn off the TV

"Make the most of the longer evenings while they are still with us and go for a walk or eat your lunch or dinner outside whenever possible. Even if the sun isn't as warm here it will still be working its feel-good magic.

"Read a book that reminds you of being in far-away places or do some sightseeing in your own area at weekends and make sure you keep moving.

"Going for walks on the beach, cycling to work or going for a swim all release feel-good endorphins to help prolong that holiday high...." [article continues]

If you would like more information on this subject, or you'd like me to write something for you on life coaching, feel free to contact me. Please do not publish or reproduce any of the articles or information on this site without my prior consent. Thank you.

back to life coaching in the press