AIQS News 77 CAST

38 AIQS News 77 BEFORE AND AFTER AND OTHER SHORT WORDS It is hard for me to write this article because I’m doing it and I’m about to take my holidays and my feelings are all heading for vacation. On the other hand, I’m trying to put myself in your shoes as when you’re going to read it holidays will be over and I’ll be probably having my PVB , the medically so called Post Vacation Blues or PTD Post Travel Depression. So I’ll do my best to tackle both sides of the story, before and after. Human beings are complicated even when it is about simple matters. One of the most conflictive and talked out matters these summer days is temperature and holidays or vacations. One of the regular Summer outset discussions is air- conditioning at offices and at home. According to the BBC NEWS Magazine, women are comfortable at a temperature 2.5C warmer than men, about 24-25C, this is one of the possible reasons for the temperature problem in many offices. In the article Prof Paul Thornalley, of Warwick Medical School says “variation in average metabolic rate and body heat production between men and women may explain why there is a difference in environmental temperature required for comfort between males and females”. And the article goes on and on giving clear scientific evidence for this. Others, giving a more simple and popular but wise explanation say this difference is due to the difference in the dressing garments between men and women in offices in the summertime. But before going on holidays many of us will be suffering from burnout syndrome which may be logical after working the whole year and we will be feeling tired and exhausted and needing a little bit of mental rest. What was new to me was that many people suffer from SAD when they start holidays. According to the Mayo clinic in USA Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is related to changes in seasons. SAD causes depression in the Spring or early Summer although it could be also in Fall and Winter. So again many of us are going to suffer frommood changes and a little depression before holidays. Other people still get more stressed out when they go on holidays. Flights, delays, queues, the high expectation gap, excessive noise at home or in the beach or the absence of me-time can make people suffer from a serious burnout moment even when on holidays. To finish, the post-vacation blues or post travel depression PTD which you/me may be suffering by now.