I found this on another forum on the web regarding why we feel this way: First off, good for you for being smart enough to take the break. Depression during a break is definitely not a universal experience. It is however common enough that it has been studied and published on. There are several possible reasons for depression during a break discussed in the literature. Let's see if any of them might apply to you. "Underlying disphoria": This theory basically says that exercise is a mood lifter and if you are normally a somewhat unhappy person, stopping your exercise lets you return to your normal state. Have you been unhappy when not exercising or having other big projects in the past? Loss of coping mechanism: This theory says that some athletes use exercise as an escape from the pressures of family life, work, school or even existential malaise. When you stop exercising, you confront the troubling aspects of your life non-stop, and it gets you down. Have you tried substituting other escapes during your break from riding? It sounds like you probably haven't since you are too depressed to do anything. Lack of mastery feeling or satisfaction: This one is close to the last but a little different. This theory says that if cycling is the only really satisfying thing in your life or the only area where you feel in control then when you lose cycling, you're left with a bleak life. Are there other things in your life that you usually care about and enjoy? If not, you owe it to yourself to add another hobby, social or work challenge from which you can get some satisfaction. The danger in any of the above is that if they apply to you, you may not take a break even when your body needs one. Here are two more obvious explanations for post-season depression that are not discussed in the literature that I know of but which could equally well apply to you. First, if you had a really hard season, which it sounds like you did given all that racing, you could be just exhausted and mistaking fatigue for depression. If this is the case, you should begin to come around mentally about 10-15 days after you started your break. If you are past 15 days and not starting to feel better, this does not apply to you. If you had a lot less success this season than you expected, you may simply be depressed about not reaching your goals and perhaps questioning the value or meaning of what you've been doing. This list is not exhaustive but does cover the majority of the cases of post-season depression. Think about whether any of the items above apply to you. One bottom line strong recommendation though: Talk to others about how you are feeling. If you are still depressed three weeks into your break, call your doctor or a mental health worker.
