Monday 27 August 2012 9:01 pm | Updated: Wednesday 29 May 2019 7:58 pm

Beat the back to work blues with a revamped daily routine

FITNESS & DIET EXPERT

NOT KNOWN as “the ugly cousin of hangovers” for nothing, post-holiday blues can be at their worst this time of year. They are helped along by the knowledge that the last Bank Holiday until mid-winter has passed, a new school term is around the corner and there are no more Olympics for at least another fifty years. But when all’s said, wallowed and done, what to do? Here are my top tips for staying chipper for the remainder of August.

STOP THE HOLIDAY INDULGENCE
You may think you’re being good to yourself by skiving the gym this week or succumbing to one last lardy lunch but you’ll feel actually feel a whole lot brighter if you pack away the crate of Stella and hit the tarmac instead.

FIND A NEW SANDWICH BAR
No point longing for your two-week summer holiday for the remaining 50 weeks of the year – recreate some holiday habits into your daily routine. Become a tourist on your own doorstep and start by getting out of your lunchbreak rut. Kill two birds with one stone and find a new sandwich/salad bar that’s off the beaten track. Find somewhere that serves up salads-with-a-twist (think goats cheese with honey and walnuts) and make sure it’s at least a brisk, 10 minute endorphin-inducing walk from your desk.

UNPACK IMMEDIATELY
Researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University assessed workers back-to-work blues via a mathematical formula. Factors for reduced back-to-work stress included relaxing thoroughly while on holiday, returning to a job you enjoy and not leaving your suitcase half unpacked as a visible reminder of what’s been and gone. They suggest at least one day’s breathing space in between your plane landing and heading into work.