'Golden week' leaves everyone exhausted

By Wang Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-09 08:44

The "golden week" holiday is meant to be a time to unwind, but for office worker Gao Yu, the eight-day break was so hectic he may need another vacation just to recover.

"I'm just so tired after a three-day celebration for my father's birthday, one day for my friend's wedding and another three days for my brother's wedding," said the exhausted 27-year-old Beijinger. "The last day of golden week is the only day I have to rest and I have insomnia."

In the past week, Gao drove about 1,000 km to attend family parties, class gatherings and weddings.

Yesterday, the last day of the holiday, was a weary one for hundreds of millions of Chinese.

With the gloomy prospect of returning to work, many people could suffer post-holiday syndrome, experts said.

'Golden week' leaves everyone exhausted

The syndrome refers to a general feeling of depression before returning to work, which is caused by irregular lifestyles during the vacation.

Symptoms include fatigue, lack of appetite and concentration, irritability and a feeling of helplessness.

Da Siping, a doctor in Xinqiao Hospital, told sina.com yesterday that post-holiday syndrome is not a disease, but can be detrimental both physically and mentally, and people should be on alert for symptoms such as visual fatigue, poor digestion and fear of work.

These symptoms generally disappear in a week or two, but if they persist, people may find measures like massages and sports helpful, Da said.

Those who ate too much during the holiday should drink tea or coffee and have simple meals until their stomachs return to normal, Da said.

This year's National Day holiday was extended by one day to eight days because the Mid-Autumn Festival fell within the period.