Back to work blues? Try sending yourself a mental postcard

Back to work blues? Try sending yourself a mental postcard!

The first days back after a summer break can be rough. One week you’re wandering around a coastal town deciding between gelato flavours, the next you’re staring at a screen wondering how your inbox got so full and why the coffee tastes weaker than you remember.

It’s not laziness. On holiday, your mind slows down, your stress levels drop, and your body settles into a softer rhythm. Coming back means asking yourself to speed up again overnight, while your brain still feels like it’s on a beach chair!

One small thing I’ve found makes a difference is something called a "mental postcard".

What it is

Imagine freezing a single, vivid moment from your summer break, like a photo you could send to your future self. Instead of keeping that moment in the back of your mind, you capture it with as much detail as possible, and you use it as a reminder of the joy and relaxation you experienced in that moment.

Why it works

Here’s the interesting bit: Neuroscience tells us that when we vividly recall a memory, our brain reactivates many of the same networks it used during the original experience. When you recall a memory with that much detail, not just the image but the sounds, smells, and feelings, your brain actually activates many of the same areas it did when the moment happened. It’s almost like your mind sneaks you back there for a few seconds. That little mental trip can be enough to take the edge off a tense moment at work or help you feel steadier when the day gets overwhelming.

How to use it in your workday

Think back to your summer break. Pick one single moment that still makes you smile without trying. It could be lying on the grass looking up at the clouds, laughing with friends over a meal, waking up without an alarm, the sound of waves at night, the warmth of the sun after a swim, or an evening walk through the park (that is mine on the picture!).

• What you saw: the nuances of the colors and shapes of the trees, the light of the sunset, the of the sky...

• What you heard: the rustle of leaves, the voices of children playing around, birds singing, your steps on the pebbles on the floor...
  

• What you smelt: grass, sea,... !

• What you felt physically: the temperature of the air, the breeze on your skin, the texture of the sand...

  
  

• What you felt emotionally : peace, joy, relaxation...

Then, you attach a short message to it, something you’d like to remember when the daily grind starts to take over. For example:

“Remember this sweet moment, and just relax.”

1. Start your morning with it: Before opening your laptop, close your eyes and spend 30 seconds in your postcard scene.

2. Pair it with deep breathing: the breathing box is a great technique, inspire for 4 seconds, hold 4 sec, expire for sec, hold 4 sec... repeat 4 times

3. Keep it visible: Write your postcard message on a sticky note, or use a photo from your break as your phone background or computer screen saver.

4. Go back to this exercise for 30 seconds at least twice a day, or as many times you need !

Post-holiday blues aren’t a sign you’re unmotivated, they’re proof you’re just human. You’ve had a taste of restoration, and part of you misses it. The mental postcard is just a way of bringing a little bit of that restoration back with you, as a

daily reminder of the state you want to protect, even while you work.

So next time you catch yourself scrolling through last month’s holiday pictures, pick one, seal it in your mind, and save it to you screen background. Your future self will thank you.