It takes at least three days to ‘get back to normal’ after a holiday, a study has found.

Researchers found those who take a week off to relax take around 72 hours to get back into the swings of things.

That time increases to four days for a two-week break.

The study by vitamin and supplement company Healthspan also found it takes two nights for our sleeping pattern to get back to normal after all the lie-ins.

Commenting on the findings, psychologist Dr Meg Arroll, said: “Taking time to unwind and relax is vital for overall physical and mental health, but many people may struggle pre and post-holiday.

“This survey has shown over half of Brits found it difficult to get back to their routines after a break away.

''So, although holidays can be great at making us forget about the toils of day-to-day life, many of us find it hard to readjust when they’re over.

“Coupled with the stress that comes with preparing for a holiday, whether that’s making sure we get all of the packing done, or handing over workloads to colleagues to handle in your absence, it can sometimes feel like it’s not even worth having a holiday.

“The survey also found the majority of people spend two days of their holiday feeling anxious about work.

''If you think that many people only have a week holiday, two days consumed with work anxiety is a big chunk out of their break.“

The study of 2,000 adults who holiday abroad found six in 10 believe getting used to the morning routine is the hardest part of re-joining everyday life after a trip away.

A third believe it’s too difficult to get used to the UK’s changeable weather after enjoying sunnier climates abroad.

Four in 10 also admitted feeling anxious about going back to work after a holiday, with a quarter taking extra days of annual leave to ease themselves back into life.

More than half of holidaymakers also say they ‘completely dread’ coming back from holiday, as it means they’ll have to catch up on household chores and laundry.

In fact, millions of anxiety-riddled Brits even confess to feeling the strain before they’ve gone away.

One in three respondents, polled via OnePoll, even said they sometimes feel it’s not worth going on holiday because it’s so stressful before they head off, or after they get back and try to settle into their day-to-day lives once again.