Post-Holiday Burnout: Why Rest Isn’t Always the Reset You Hoped For

I’ve just come back from four incredible nights in Portugal. Sun, sea, dolphins, a spa, amazing food, and nine hours of sleep every night. It was perfect. The kind of break you hope will fix the exhaustion. But instead of feeling refreshed, I feel worse than I did before I left.

I know I’m not alone. This is something I hear from clients, colleagues, other business owners. You do everything right. You switch off. You rest. You come back... and the weight is still there. Sometimes heavier.

So what’s going on? Why doesn’t rest always work the way it should?

1. The Myth of the Holiday Magic Fix

We love the idea of a holiday as a reset button. Step away, come back new. But rest isn’t a one-off event. It’s a process. A holiday gives you time and space, but it doesn’t undo the pressure cooker of months or years of running a business under stress. You can’t reverse burnout in four days.

2. The Weight Business Owners Carry

When you run a business, you don’t just clock off. You carry risk, decisions, staff worries, invoices, strategy, the whole thing. Even when you’re away, it lingers. Your brain’s still on. And without proper systems, support, or breathing space built into your normal life, the holiday becomes a temporary pause rather than a real reset.

I was away with my best friend, another business owner and on day two, I looked at her and said “I can’t relax, my brain is in overdrive.” She said that she was having the exact same issue. Obvioulsy a pina coladà by the pool helped but the whirring remained.

3. Why Coming Back Often Feels Worse

There’s the contrast. You go from spa days and sunsets to a messy inbox (despite me managing my emails once a day), unpaid bills, client fires, and the mental whiplash of having been out of the loop. The return feels more like a crash than a re-entry. And layered on top is disappointment. “I thought I’d feel better. Why don’t I?” Also, for me anyway, there’s guilt. I have work to be doing, I have deadlines to meet, taking time off has just set me back - and before you say it, yes, I know you can’t drink from an empty cup!

4. What Real Recovery Actually Needs

a) A planned return

I now try not to book meetings or calls for the first 24 hours after I get back. That gives me time to ease in, sort logistics, and stop the overwhelm before it starts. I’m aware that’s not always easy, but if you must work, then do the bare minimum and knock off early.

b) Delegation before departure

If no one’s steering the ship while I’m away, then the break isn’t real. I’m just delaying chaos. This means having backup, even if it’s part-time or external.

c) Support that isn’t all on me

Coaches, collaborators, friends who get it. I can’t do everything, and neither can you. You need people in your corner who understand what this role takes. I have some great people around me who help me put things in perspective.

d) Small breaks, not just big ones

If the first time I stop all year is on holiday, no wonder I crash. Recovery needs rhythm. Weekly pauses, regular weekends, and moments to breathe. I’m pretty rubbish at this, although I am getting better.

e) No “back to normal” pressure

I put in a few extra hours before I went away so that I knew I was on top of everything. Psychologically, I need to know that I’m not falling behind, so ensuring everything is running as it should helps me to “let go”. When I come back, I can step in gently without feeling like I have too much to catch up on.

5. Building a Better Kind of Balance

The truth? One break doesn’t solve it. But it can show you what’s missing.

• Space to think.

• Time to breathe.

• Support you can rely on.

• Boundaries you protect.

• Systems that don’t collapse when you step away.

I spent years feeling that I couldn’t be away, that things would go horribly wrong, clients would be annoyed I didn’t answer emails - spoiler - they didn’t and the world continued to turn despite me not being at my desk.

If You Feel Worse After a Break, You’re Not Failing

You’re tired. That’s all. And tired people don’t need more pressure. They need permission to do things differently.

So if you’re feeling like I am right now, just know this: the break helped, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet. Your nervous system got a breather. Your body rested. And your brain is trying to find its pace again.

Take it slow. You’re still winning.