How to beat post-holiday depression

PETALING JAYA: With the holidays over, the back to work traffic crawl is enough to give anyone the blues.

Universiti Malaya Department of Psychological Medicine consultant psychiatrist Dr Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman said it was normal to experience “post holiday blues” when going back to work, especially after long holidays like the combined Hari Raya and Merdeka day festivities.

He offered some advice on how to beat the blues the next time around.

Traffic snarl: A back-to-work traffic jam at the Sunway Toll in Petaling Jaya Monday morning.

“It is important to have a transition period after coming back home and not to start work immediately ... to give yourself enough time to unpack and settle in.

“Sharing photographs and stories about your holiday can also help to re-live the holiday experience,” he said.

Kuala Lumpur traffic chief ACP Rosli Mohd Noor said traffic had become congested again with heavy traffic on main roads leading into the city including Federal Highway and Jalan Tun Razak.

He said more than a hundred traffic police personnel had been deployed throughout the city to help ease congestion.