TOUCHING down on the Tarmac after your summer holiday can be a horrible moment.

With your tan already fading and a growing awareness that your trousers feel a bit tight, it can feel like the end of the world. But is there a way to avoid that post-holiday sinking feeling?

According to Dr Wendy Denning, one of the UK's leading GPs, maintaining your summer glow is about more than using fake tan.

"Once your holiday is over, people have not only to deal with the end of the event, but also the end of all their dreaming," she says.

"Expectation is part of a holiday. So I tell patients who feel down' at this time of year to start thinking about their next holiday - you get as much out of the fantasy of what your holiday is going to be like as you do from the reality."

Karen Salmansohn, author of The Bounce Back Book, agrees that holidays can be an intense emotional experience.

"When you come home from a trip you often become especially aware of that gap' between what you now have and what you now want.

"Holidays give you time to reflect and this can make coming home hard. You're confronted by making those self-promised changes."

But Salmansohn adds that doesn't mean we should treat holidays as anything less than life-enhancing treats.

"Post-holiday is the perfect time to channel all that restorative vacation energy into new habits which bring you the life you truly desire and deserve."

Of course that's easier said than done.

Denning says that it's far easier to enjoy the mental benefits of your holiday if you've given yourself an easy physical ride while away.

"Holidays are often accompanied by extreme behaviour.

"People go on crash diets beforehand or work incredibly hard up until the last minute.

"Then they get there and binge on food and alcohol.

"All this can put incredible stress on a person's system at a time when they're trying to unwind and relax."

Denning says that as a result, post-holiday blues are very common.

"I see a surge in patients suffering symptoms such as tiredness, irritability, lack of concentration, nostalgia and loss of appetite and many wonder whether it was worth having a holiday at all.

"But if they make sure they keep an eye on their diet and exercise levels while they're away, they'll find their mood is better and it is easier to readjust into everyday life."

Salmansohn agrees that while it can seem hard to shift those post-holiday blues, there are lots of wonderful reasons to come home.

"I went through a bad time a few years ago and found my first instinct was to stay at home and eat lots of chocolate.

"But in fact, research has shown people who successfully bounce back from hard times seek out their real friends and stay in touch.

"So, if you're going through a challenge, make a list of 10 people you consider friends and make sure you spend a few hours a week with them. You don't have to go away to find out what you love about life."