A five-day vacation is like a dream, fleeting. Some netizens summed up their May Day like this: "I have a really happy holiday", these seven words, I only feel the first six words.
Why do we always feel that the holidays are flying by, but the working hours are passing slowly?
Experts interviewed
National second-level psychological counselor Mai Shunpin
Professor Yonglong Tang, Department of Psychology, Southwest University
Why are holidays always fleeting?
The five-day working day is as long as half a month, but the five-day rest day ends all at once. Happy times are always short, and this may not be your delusion.
Holidays bring "freshness"
British psychologist Claudia Hammond said that when people look back on the past, the assessment of the length of time is based on how many "new things" have been brought together during that time.
The average person will only add 6 to 9 new things to their memory in a two-week working day, so they will feel that time is slow; When it comes to holidays, a lot of new things suddenly add in a day, and the brain will feel that it has experienced a lot when recalling, and thus think that time flies very quickly.
The brain has a "prediction error"
Our perception of time is related to experience and behavior, and is an unstable subjective feeling.
Emotions, attention, and what's going on around us can all change how we feel, making us feel like time is speeding up or slowing down. For example, the more anxious you are, the more water in the pot can't boil.
The heartbeat disrupts the "beat" of the brain
A recent study published by Cornell University in the United States shows that the brain's control of time is also related to the heartbeat.
The heartbeat can affect our perception of external stimuli, like a metronome used by the brain. Researchers believe that some moments seem to lengthen or shorten relative to the objective time per second, and this "time fold" originates in the heart.
3 ways to deal with "holiday syndrome"
The so-called "holiday syndrome" is actually a normal reaction to people's changes in life conditions, mainly related to work pressure.
A study from the American Sleep Agency said that this anxiety has multiple manifestations, such as emotional irritability, depression, fear, etc.; Physical gastrointestinal discomfort, headache, dizziness, loss of appetite; Behavioral insomnia, procrastination, lack of concentration, etc.
It's normal to feel a little nervous before going to work, but if you're feeling very low or can't sleep well, you need to take some steps to adjust and make the transition between holidays and workdays smooth.
1
Deep rest
The holiday plan should be reasonable, and you must leave some time for yourself to rest and relax completely.
More intense, exciting, and difficult things are best placed a few days before the holidays. Try to use the day before the workday to really relax, such as taking a nap or doing meditation.
2
Do a good job of work planning
Separate work and life and try to get everything done during the workday.
After the end of the work, do a good job of sorting out and summarizing, and draw an end; Then make a list of things to be solved, prepare yourself for the work after the holiday, and you will not panic the day before the workday.
3
Reduce the fear of the workday
If the workday brings happiness, then there will be little psychological stress. So, you can proactively turn the first day of rework into a happy day.
Prepare yourself with some small rewards: eat a rich breakfast, buy a bouquet of fresh flowers to put at the workstation, etc., in short, do something to make yourself look forward to and make the mood at work more pleasant.
"Quick food breaks" will help you recover
How can the workday drive away fatigue and quickly recover your spirits? These "fast-food break" methods may help you clear out the stress and fatigue in your body.
1
Take a 20-minute nap
Nighttime sleep is very important, and daytime naps are also very helpful to maintain physical strength, improve study and work efficiency.
Several studies have shown that taking a nap can effectively reduce the secretion of stress hormones in the body and make people feel more energetic. The recommended duration is about 20 minutes, not more than half an hour.
2
Stretch out seriously
Stretching the waist can increase the squeezing of the heart and lungs, promote the heart to pump blood, and increase the oxygen supply to the whole body.
Keeping your body relaxed, cross your fingers with your palms up on top of your head, alternately straighten and hook your toes, and turn your limbs to the left and right for about 30 seconds.
3
Drink a hot cup of tea
Dehydration in the body can also increase stress and exhaustion. Just take 1 minute, drink a cup of plain water or brew a cup of hot tea to rejuvenate you.
4
Daze for 5 minutes
Research by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts State University in the United States shows that daze is the easiest way to reduce stress. When there are no distractions and nothing in the mind, the α brain waves in the brain are strengthened, allowing attention and thoughts to be more concentrated.
5
Do a workbench
Exercise is an active rest. When you are tired from work and study, get up and move, you can instantly rejuvenate. Stretch the ribs, twist the waist, or squat, stand against the wall, raise the legs, etc.
6
Get a head massage
Choose a strength that is more acceptable to you, comb your hair back with your ten-finger belly starting from the upper edge of the eye socket, comb to the back of the neck, repeat several times, or you can use a horn or solid wood comb instead.
This action can stimulate the nerve endings and meridian points of the scalp, effectively relax the tension of the head nerves, and promote local blood circulation.
7
Eat a healthy snack
Eating a healthy snack between meals can both relax and help with nutrients. Yogurt, fruits, nuts, etc. are healthier choices.
8
Proper sun exposure
When you feel tired, bask in the sun. 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. are the best times to bask in the sun. You can sunburn your back, legs and the top of your head for 15~20 minutes each time.
9
Share a fun story with others
After working for an hour or two, chatting with colleagues or friends and sharing interesting facts can instantly lower the stress hormones in the body.
10
Wash your face with warm water
Washing your face with warm water when you are tired can refresh the whole person. The water temperature should not be too hot, nor too cold, about 35 °C is appropriate. ▲
Editor of this issue: Yang Meng