I had a great holiday in Indonesia from 25 Dec 08 to 04 Jan 09. It has been almost 7 years since my last visit to Jakarta, Indonesia. I was hugely impressed by the progressed that the country has made for the past few years. Jakarta now boasts newly built modern super size malls, such as: Pacific Place, Senayan City, fx, and Grand Indonesia.

Unfortunately, I have no time to visit fx mall. The other three malls mentioned above offers high-end products such as Bvlgari, Hugo Boss, Guess, as well as expensive restaurants and coffee shops. Other than the malls, Jakarta also manifested by exclusive night clubs like X2 and Blowfish. I celebrated my new year in jammed-packed Blowfish.

The cool hang-out places are not only proliferated in Jakarta – the capital city of Indonesia – but also in Bandung, the capital city of West Java province. I visited Bandung for two days, and I was stunned by places like the Valley café, where you can see the whole city of Bandung at night. I was told that there are other equally interesting places like the Peak and Paris Van Java. Alas, I have no time to visit those places.

Time flies, and before I know it, it’s time for me to return to my beloved Singapore. Sigh…I dreaded returning to this country, not because Jakarta and Bandung are nicer than Singapore, but because going back home also means that I need to return to the daily routine of working. If you know how I felt, chances are you – like me – suffer from post-holiday syndrome, a condition when you find yourself lethargic, low energy, and no mood for work.

I’m relieved to know that I’m not the only one who felt this way, and I’m also glad that the local newspaper published an article on how-to beat the post-holiday blues. Here it is, (for personal reference only):

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My paper, 2 January 2009. Written by: Koh Hui Theng

10 ways to beat post-holiday blues

Now that the year-end merry-making is over, it’s time to face the daily grind again. Enter the post-holiday blues: A crash that leaves you feeling depressed, lethargic, or stressed out. To help working professionals snap out of the doldrums, my paper gathers 10 tips from expert:

1. Acknowledge that your current state of mind is temporary
2. Set a plan of action
3. Magnify your strengths. Play up your strong points in your mind.
4. Prioritise to avoid stress
5. Appreciate those who are working with you
6. Take up community work. Social engagement is strongly linked to happiness, wrote Mr Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, in the 2002 bestseller, Authentic Happiness
7. Exercise. It is well known that exercising releases endorphins, brain chemicals which make people feel better.
8. Spend time building relationships with family members.
9. Engage in activities that develop life skills.
10. Learn to relax