Hello happiness seekers. My name is Claudia. Welcome to the summer break at the Happiness Challenge. Summer break is all about short practical episodes inspired by the science of happiness to help you rest, reset and rediscover happiness this summer. So here is a question for you. Ever felt a little down after a great holiday? Me too. You're not alone. I think we often experience holiday blues. So in this episode I'm going to explore the psychology of post holiday blues and how to keep your happiness going. So let's dive in. So I think the first thing that we really need to understand is that holiday blues are real and they shouldn't be dismissed. Research shows that returning to routine after a break can trigger a dip in our mood. And this happens because the novelty and excitement of a holiday boost our happiness and the contrast with regular life can feel feel quite stark. I also tend to feel the holiday blues because the impact of the weather. So I often transition from a sunny beach to a rainy city. So that generally what gets me down. So here are some science back strategies to beat the holiday blues. Number one is about really suffering and appreciating the memories. So look through the photos, journal about your favorite moments or share stories with your friends. Reliving positive experiences can absolutely boost our mood and get our dopamine going again. I often come back from holidays and choose the best pictures from my adventures and put them into a scrapbook. And that entire routine is really important actually to to get my dopamine going after a wonderful holiday. Number two, plan small joys. So again, when you're having a great holiday, coming back home, maybe feel a bit ah blah, I'm home. But actually how can we get ourselves excited of what's coming up? So schedule something to look forward. A coffee date, a walk, a micro adventure. Anticipation is absolutely a powerful happiness booster again because it gives a kickstart to our dopamine levels. And again, I think it's way too easy to come back home and start concentrating on making heaps of laundry. But actually what we need is something nice to enjoy straight away. Number three, bring holidays habits home. So holidays should don't really have to finish the moment we are home. We can transfer some of the key aspects from our holiday adventures back home. So for example, did you love morning swims or evening walks? Try weaving a version of these routines into your daily life. I for example, love cooking something I have tried on holiday to to give me that joy moment when I'm back home. Number four is about practicing gratitude. So each day note one thing that you are grateful for from your holiday and one thing that you're grateful for in terms of your regular routine. So it's easy to very much concentrate on what is our life lacking and so gratitude can really get us out of that negative sense spiral. And final one, be gentle with yourself. Always allow yourself time to readjust. Especially if you also experiencing jet lag, it's normal to feel a bit low. Acknowledging it actually can help us to move through it quicker if you can take time to adjust slowly back to the routine. As I already mentioned, if you are changing the time zones especially then that's really important. The biggest mistake that I often make is that I make my schedule packed at work after holidays so I go back into really intensive time and often that is not serving me well. So again think about what can you adjust in terms of your routine so you have a little bit time to really adjust of being home. So I guess the very important thing is to remember that holiday's blues are real and trying different techniques to help us to manage them better. And also happiness isn't just for holidays. With a little intention we can definitely sprinkle the joy of our break into everyday life. So thank you so much for listening. I wish you a joyful return home after your summer holidays. And just as a reminder, my upcoming book, the Alphabet of Happiness is Its publication date is approaching fast. It's 30th of September. Oh my God. It's really not that much time left and I really cannot wait. I'll be announcing details of the launch party via my substack newsletter, so if you would like to know more, please sign up. To get more information, simply look for the Happiness Challenge or Cloud Demetura and you'll be able to find me. But for now, I wish you wonderful time back home. See you soon. Bye.