By Enya Loo, Trinity College Student
When you start setting early morning alarms again and can no longer hit snooze 50 times, it’s time to get back to your assignment-filled term. Ugh. Even after just a couple weeks off from school, coming back to the state of learning and grind can be exponentially harder. The long list of commitments, more online school and the idea of being “bored” is erased all so suddenly- with the prospect of having a school break nowhere near in sight. If you think you’re alone in this situation, no need to fret, as this is a psychological phenomenon that pretty much happens to everybody. Coined as the “Post-holiday Slump”, it is based on the chemical comedown from the “high” that we experience during our holidays.
Image via Clever Tap
One of our crucial transmitters, Dopamine, is a chemical that carries signals within the brain. Among its many duties is a crucial role in signaling the feelings of enjoyment we get out of life’s pleasures. Therefore, during our breaks where we’re enjoying 3pm wake up times, or a leisurely movie night, Dopamine pathways activate the reward center of the brain, and cause feelings of happiness and fulfillment. So, as we return back to 6 hours of online school in the very same environment that we just got 4 hours of sleep from, a crash of dopamine is no doubt going to take place. The resulting lower dopamine levels can lead to a mood crash, which leads to decreased motivation and reduced drive for school. We end up feeling super jittery, unfocused and lose our enthusiasm for learning. Even listening to a lecture may have gotten 100000% more difficult as compared to before the break started. Fortunately, we won’t remain in this slump for too long. As our bodies start adjusting back to everyday life, healthy brain neurosensors keep dopamine at manageable levels. Just like a withdrawal from coffee or carbohydrates, the first couple of days may seem really long and dreadful. To help ourselves assimilate back to the current school term, try planning something exciting for the weekend, or break down heavy tasks into easier ones. As much as the majority of us would just like to laze around and do nothing, that won’t be the case. We just have to continue the grind (for now, till the next holiday)