Staring blankly at your screen? You probably have post-holiday blues

The good news is you can get through it, but first we have to understand why we experience them at all.

- Kelvin Wong

Sad, anxious or lacking in motivation? Chances are, you have just returned to work after a break.

January is the month when people are most likely to quit their jobs after having had time off.

And even though most people experience the return to work blues, the good news is there are ways to get through them. But first we have to understand why we experience them at all.

Holidays often promote idealized expectations of life, such as the freedom and joy that come from reduced responsibilities and expectations from others.

Unsurprisingly, returning to work clashes with these expectations due to its inherent pressures and responsibilities. This mismatch between one's expectations and reality creates psychological discomfort, or "cognitive dissonance", which includes feelings of disappointment or frustration.

Cognitive dissonance can also occur when there is a mismatch between perceived identities or roles in life. For example, during the holidays, I become "an avid watcher of TV shows I missed throughout the year", and "someone who is readily available to others". However, the return to work quickly shifts me to being a "productive worker (who has no time for TV)", and "someone who needs to be mindful of how they spend their limited downtime and energy".