Facing the post-holiday blues? Why it might be time for a career wake-up call...

As the summer sun begins to set and the reality of returning to work looms large, many of us experience the familiar hit of post-holiday blues.

However, for those already unhappy in their jobs and uncertain about their next career step, this transition can be particularly challenging, amplifying feelings of dissatisfaction and confusion.

In fact, the period after a holiday, which should be a time of refreshed energy and renewed focus, can instead become a really difficult reminder of the misalignment between your current job and personal aspirations.

The big heavy dread

If you feel unfulfilled or perhaps misaligned with your work, the return to the office can be met with a sense of dread that seems to overshadow any positive memories of your lovely holiday with your friends/family. Oh that freedom, relaxation, and joy.... all of this, experienced during the break, highlights just how disconnected you feel from your daily work life. The idea of returning to the same tasks, environments, certain colleagues (ahum, ahum) and pressures that are looming from the September budget planning can feel like an insurmountable weight, making it difficult to find the motivation to get back into the swing of things.

Are you feeling stagnant?

The post-holiday period often brings with it a certain realisation of where you stand in your career. If you're unhappy in your marketing job, this can lead to a painful recognition that you're stagnating.... Instead of feeling recharged and ready to tackle new brand challenges, there's a sense of being stuck in a role that no longer serves you —or perhaps never did?! This realisation does bring feelings of frustration, helplessness and even a deeper sense of purposelessness. Your marketing routines now seem very monotonous, meaningless and lack a real sense of satisfaction.

Feeling the pressure from wondering "what's next?"

Like most, if you lack clarity about the next step in your career, this makes the return to work even more overwhelming. Thinking about navigating through another day, week, or year in this organisation that doesn’t feel right can be dreadful. The pressure to figure out "what’s next" becomes a constant wave of anxiety for you, making the smallest routine tasks feel like monumental challenges. You then procrastinate, avoid, and feel you're wasting time and not heading anywhere interesting anymore in your career.

Are you more resentful and irritable?

Feeling trapped in a job that doesn’t align with your values or what motivates you often creates some resentment, which might not only be directed at the job itself but can spill over into interactions with the corss-functional colleagues, boss, leadership team and even yourself. Are you becoming more irritable? Less patient? With a dip in motivation? What once might have been minor annoyance such as a campaign brief done by a direct report that needs editing, an agency not quite understanding your ask, a NAM asking for a deeper promo plan....now feel like significant frustrations, and that leads to a more toxic work environment...

The vicious cycle is on.

The post-holiday blues can also intensify negative self-talk (your internal chit chat inside of your head). Thoughts like, "I’m wasting my time," or "I’m never going to figure out what I want to do," can become more frequent and debilitating. This really makes it harder to see a way forward. And remember....it’s a vicious cycle: the more these thoughts take hold, the more they impact your self-confidence and the ability to take proactive steps toward change.

If you’re feeling any of these emotions as you transition back to work, it’s a clear sign that something is amiss. If you're craving greater fulfillment and purpose in your career, you're ready to explore your next steps.

Let's have a 30min chat to discuss your own situation and discuss how we can map out a path that feels right for you. Book your free call here!

Speak soon,

Mags

Turning self-doubting marketers into intentional and confident leaders • Leadership Coach • Mentor • Trainer