Don’t want to work, just want to play? 4 symptoms to check if you’ve caught the “I need a vacation” bug

Text and photos /Dextalk – Chop Wood, Feed Horses, Travel the World

Although there’s still a week until the Lunar New Year holiday, many friends have already kicked into vacation mode. Among us working folks, there are plenty who are physically at work but mentally already on the road. Staring at the red-marked holidays on the calendar, you may find yourself lacking motivation—even struggling to eat—and wondering why your mood is so low. Is something wrong with your body? Yes, you’re clearly showing signs of pre-holiday syndrome. Don’t worry, a vacation will fix it. Unfortunately, you’ll likely then experience post-holiday syndrome—but that’s a story for later. First, let’s look at the symptoms of pre-holiday syndrome. If you have any of the following, you’ve been hit.

1. Entering Self-Sabotage Mode

As the holiday approaches, if you don’t want to do anything, feel utterly unmotivated and sluggish—whether you’re a student or an office worker—and can’t wait to get out of school or the office, then you’ve probably entered pre-holiday self-sabotage mode. You just want the vacation to come, and you’re putting off everything until then, no matter how busy you are. It’s self-sabotage in pursuit of a break.

2. Already in Self-Imposed Vacation Mode

Whether it’s Christmas or the Lunar New Year, you jump the gun and enter vacation mode early. You exude a holiday vibe, and every conversation revolves around the break. Whether there’s something to do or not, you’re checking your holiday itinerary and plans, and your mind is filled with visions of vacation.

3. Pre-Holiday Euphoria Mode

Compared to the first two, this one might actually be appreciated by your boss. Once you enter euphoria mode, your work mood mysteriously improves, and you speed up your workflow because you’re eager to get to the holiday—so you stay busy and productive every day.

4. The Spacey / Distracted Mode

Whether you’re in a meeting or getting grilled by your boss, your gaze goes blank, and you feel like you’ve shifted into slow motion. You become sluggish, often just sitting at your computer spacing out. More than working, you’d rather stare at the screen checking the latest ticket prices.

Once you have any of these symptoms, all you can do is wait for the vacation to come to the rescue.

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