Post-Vacation Blues?

(While you may not have taken a summer vacation yet, here's a re-post to help us hedge those post-vacation blues some of us experience when we get back to work.) 

After our vacation posts, what about when we get back from vacation and have to get right to work? Ugh!!!?

There were years where "Ugh!" described being back to work. Not so much now. Vacation was a blessed relief that just couldn't come soon enough back then. Now it's more just something we do.

Life changes, right? Nothing new there.

But let's look at "Ugh!" and it's opposite. First, "Ugh!"

"Ugh!" hits us when our work isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread - or some variation therein. We might even hate what we do. But even if we don't hate it, we may find it somewhat of a drain when we're at it for months on end. So we look forward, no, really look forward to vacation. It's just what we need, and when it comes we're elated. Then, as always happens, vacation's over. Back to the salt mines.

Having a good slug of working years under my belt, I think I've experienced the full spectrum that spans "Ugh!" and not that big of a deal. So if you're in the "Ugh!" camp, I feel your pain. 

What's the opposite of "Ugh!"? "No Big Deal" fits the bill as well as anything.

"No Big Deal" isn't a matter of total indifference (although I suppose that's possible). It's more an ability to simply take things in stride. Like night follows day, back to work follows vacation. Heck, if that weren't the case, there's be no vacation.

The exception might be retired folks. Aren't they always on vacation? Sure, there are some guys (and gals I guess) whose idea of retirement start and stops with golf, or maybe travel, or sitting around watching TV, or...well, I'm not sure what else. Just those three give me the heebee jeebees. Golf? Never understood the attraction. TV all day and night? Insane! 

What about travel? Well, I suppose a trip or two once in a while could be something to look forward to. But to a non-traveler, it's really not all that appealing.

But we've strayed off course here. We were talking about how the "No Big Deal" response to our return to work after vacation doesn't betray an indifferent attitude. Even if it's no big deal, we can still like and actively pursue a good vacation from time to time. It's good from a natural, human point of view. And it's good from a supernatural, spiritual point of view as well.

While it may be only natural that we're not elated to be back at work, having the "No Big Deal" response to picking up where we left off before vacation clearly takes a minimal toll on our mind, body, and emotions. 

The "Ugh!" contingent can barely manage the first day or days back from vacation. It's a physical, mental and emotional strain of the first degree. The physical could range anywhere from complete energy drain to headaches and chest pains; the mental from lack of focus to utter brain fog; the emotional from wistful remembrance of happier days to utter depression.

Not fun, to say the least.

But the "No Big Deal" folks just pick up from wherever they left off and plug away as if nothing happened: a lot easier on body, mind, and emotions, to be sure.

From a spiritual point of view, if we're talking "dialed-in" Catholics, the "No Big Deal" ideally finds its source in a complete, utter trust in the Good God. He gave us our work, He gave us some vacation - all in good measure. Not that we had no hand in any of this. But once we've planned best we can, we hand Him the plan so that it fits snugly into His Plan.

So I guess the natural "No Big Deal" definitely trumps the natural response of the "Ugh! crew. But even better, the spiritual, when at the elevated state of trusting God, even thanking Him (if possible) for being back at the helm after a lovely break, really takes the prize.

And I guess getting back to work from vacation can be a pretty good deal when we look at it like that.