What is post-weekend depression? (+How to handle it)
By
PsychReel
This article will discuss what is post-weekend depression, how it can happen, and what are signs you are going through it. Along with that, the article will show ways people can cope with post-weekend depression.
What is post-weekend depression?
Post-weekend depression is not a clinical condition, but it is the blues you feel when you have experienced a great time during your weekend. It might be hard for you to let go of the experiences you had, and this sense of sadness can go through your week.
Having a great weekend is extremely important. People spend so much time focused on their work and what needs to be done, that having a fun weekend can be a great way to explore new feelings and live through new experiences.
Many studies show how having vacations, even just a weekend getaway can reduce people’s stress and increase a person’s sense of well-being. But they also show that the person’s happiness during their getaway doesn’t last, and when they return to their routine, their sense of happiness goes back to its baseline.
That doesn’t mean that enjoying your free time is a waste of time. But rather than you should try to bring some more activities to your daily life, and keep taking some time off when you can.
How can you prevent post-weekend depression?
If you start to feel like post-weekend depression is something usual for you, it might be time to take action to prevent it from happening so much.
Organize your space
Before the weekend starts, try to leave your house organized. It can be overwhelming to end your Sunday night cleaning up your mess. So, even though you might feel like you don’t want to deal with anything serious on Friday night, try to get home from work and organize it all.
Have some time to relax
It is hard to go from a fun weekend to a working mood. So try to have some time to decompress and relax. Try to have a long bath, do some self-care routine, things that will slow you down, and prepare for the week to come.
Have something planned
So you don’t feel so sad about the weekend that has ended, have something else planned that excites you, and that you look forward to. It can be a new plan for the next weekend or having a fun plan with some friends during the week. This will make it easier to go through the week.
Save memories of the good time
Save pictures, videos, or even journal about your great weekend. This can leave you with some exciting memories of the experiences you lived through. Which can help you to keep those memories alive.
How can I cope with post-weekend depression?
When you are going through post-weekend depression, it might be good to have ways to lessen those feelings.
Get in touch with people you love
A good weekend might leave you thinking you need to have more people around you. Try to keep in touch with your friends, even after the weekend, to guarantee you get your social fuel. Feeling connected to people is something that can make life a lot more meaningful.
Detox
During the weekend people tend to indulge in eating and drinking as much as they can and want. Try, during the weekdays, to do a detox that can make you feel better physically and mentally. Remember to drink lots of water, and sleep well.
Share your memories
Social media can be a great way to deal with your post-weekend depression. It allows you to share your memories and comment with your friends about your experiences. If you have any artistic talent, It might be good to put your creativity to work through painting, or sculpting about feeling the weekend brought you.
Go outside
Save some time during your week to be in nature. That tends to improve people’s sense of well-being.
Organize where you live
When you have so many positive feelings during a weekend, going back to a place where you don’t feel good can be a bad idea. If you are staying in a place that is not organized, you can start to feel anxious and not enjoy your time there. So try to leave your home in a way that you can feel comfortable in.
Find new pleasures
Weekends can give you the possibility to try new things. Try to keep those new experiences in your routine. For example, if you did your first hike on the weekend, and loved it, try to make hiking a part of your life.
Mix your routine
Even though on weekdays people have a more strict routine, try to not take that in such a serious manner. Allow yourself some pleasure during the week, maybe an outing with friends, or going to the theater.
Practice mindfulness
Having mindfulness in your life can help you focus more on the present, instead of just thinking about a weekend you had or the one that is about to come. Try to center yourself, meditate on your thoughts and feelings at the moment.
Know when to look for help
If you noticed your post-weekend depressions are becoming too intense or frequent, it might be time to look for professional help. This constant sadness might be a sign that there is some more going on with your mental health.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): What is post-weekend depression?
What are Sunday night blues?
Sunday blues is another name given to post-weekend depression, but it is related to that feeling people have on a Sunday night. In which people spend that time of the weekend worrying about their job.
To deal with the Sunday night blues, even if you love your job, you can schedule to do a fun activity. Maybe go have some dinner with friends, or go to the movies, this will avoid those crippling thoughts.
Don’t look at your emails or start working, just because it is already Sunday night. Obey that boundary, and that will make your week even more productive. You can also use some mindfulness techniques during your Sunday night to help you focus, and relax before the week ahead.
And if you realize Sunday night blues are becoming too frequent, it might be a sign that there is something you need to look at. Maybe consider a new career, or change your job.
What is anticipatory anxiety?
Anticipatory anxiety is the fear people feel before an experience or event. It can be that anxiety before a job interview, or the anxiety before performing if you are an actress. It can also be the anxiety you feel right before a doctor’s appointment or getting the grade of a test.
It is something that most people will experience every once and a while, and it is the reaction of the body to possible future threats. This can lead your body to show the fight or flight reaction.
To deal with anticipatory anxiety, ask people to let you know things are happening close to the date. This will not let you get anxious for too long, but you still won’t get caught off guard. And when you have an upcoming event, try to look at the positive aspects of it, instead of the anxiety of waiting.
Always keep in mind that those sensations anxiety brings are harmless to you, it is just your body’s way of showing you might be in danger. But just keep in mind that if it gets to a point that impaired your life, look for professional help.
How to make waiting easier?
Waiting is never easy, but it is something everyone will have to deal with at moments in their lives. So it is extremely important to learn how to deal with it. When you are waiting for something, it might be good to have some distractions, or can be watching a show or reading.
Meditating or doing some breathing exercises is also a good way to get too anxious, and can help you focus more on the present moment. The same is said about living a mindful life or can help you center yourself and build your resilience.
While waiting for something, it is important to keep engaging in other things in your life. Anxiety can make you want to hide, but go through the other aspects of your life and take care of what you can.
What is situational depression?
Situational depression is a sense of sadness that a person might experience due to a traumatic or stressful event. It usually happens within three or nine months of the event. The symptoms of it are the same as mild or moderate depression and tend to get better as people adjust to their new situation.
Situational depression can be caused by the death of a loved one, a divorce or relationship problems, moving houses or cities, and losing a job. It can also be caused by an illness diagnosis, retirement, or even having a baby.
In the last few years, situational depression became more frequent because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can also happen because you retired, or is having a school or work issue.
Can a vacation help my depression?
No, going on vacation won’t help your depression. It is considered impulsive, and even an easy escape from depression. And it can even make your depression worse. That is because when you are traveling you will usually have to deal with things out of your comfort zone.
There is the process of planning a trip, which can add to your stress, you might have to deal with transportation, delayed flights, and bad weather. And since depression makes you even more irritable, any unplanned situations can push you off the edge.
But if you have other mental health conditions, or if you consider traveling might be a good idea for you, know that it usually has some benefits. Traveling can help you calm down by breaking away from your stressful routine.
It is also a chance to reset, clear your head of concerns and thoughts that are not good for you at that moment. Being in new places can also improve your creativity by putting your face to face with new cultures and ideas. Along with that, it improves your mental power, making your attention and memory work better.
Conclusion
The article explained what post-weekend depression is, how people can come to develop it, and what are its main symptoms. Aside from that, the article explained are ways people can cope with post-weekend depression.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below.
