After a week off, Gu Yi, an office worker in Shanghai, found it hard to get back into the spirit of work.

"I am suffering from 'short-period' memory loss after a long and leisurely holiday. I can't even remember my work schedule without a memo," complained Gu, who went back to work yesterday.

Millions of Chinese people have already gone back to work after the holiday that combined two important festivals National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Many of them were suffering from the "post-holiday syndrome" a general feeling of discomfort caused by a person's inability to adapt to work after the vacation.

Tiredness, a lack of appetite and concentration, depression, irritability, sadness, a feeling of helpless and emptiness are some of the symptoms.

Health experts say they are caused by irregular lifestyles, an excessive intake of food and alcohol and a relaxed mood during the holiday period.

Sophie Bian, a job consultant in Shanghai, could not open her eyes on the morning of the first day back at work. "I felt sleepy all day and couldn't concentrate on work. It was the same with my colleagues," said Bian, who described her holiday as "eating after sleeping and sleeping after eating".

Indeed, some people should be worrying about their waistlines because banquets are a major part of any Chinese holiday, family reunion, gathering of classmates and wedding. During the National Day holiday, around 30,000 couples in Shanghai alone got married.

The long holiday has also caused trouble for some employers, who have found workers less efficient after the holiday.

A recent survey by China HR showed that almost all human resources managers complained employees were not in the right mood for work after the long holiday. And around 14 percent of managers surveyed said the "post-holiday syndrome" would hit 70 percent of employees.

"Frequent talk of the holiday during work," "fatigue, low efficiency, depression and being absent-minded" were the main problems HR managers were experiencing with employees.

The survey also found it would take three to seven days, sometimes as long as a month, for people to get back to the normal working pace.

Psychologists said getting back into a routine can cause both physical and psychological symptoms. They said a good way to avoid problems is to set a period of re-adaptation to work, such as returning home a few days before having to go back to work. Holiday habits such as going to bed later than usual can then be gradually altered.

Zhang Mian, a website director in Beijing, found such a gradual return to daily life was an effective way to prevent going back to work from being too traumatic.

"My husband and I divided the holiday into two parts. The first part was for travel, with the last two days aimed at relaxation at home and preparing for work," said Zhang.

(China Daily October 9, 2006)