Can confirm. I haven't had more than two weeks off in one block in the last ~20 years, and the results have been exactly what you'd predict.
This Onion article from 2013 is depressingly accurate:
https://www.theonion.com/find-the-thing-youre-most-passionat...
At first it's irritating that I have nothing to do; then the irritation goes away and is replaced by enthusiasm toward the meta-work of fixing my life/habits (so I can be ready to be more productive later.) It takes quite a while of being in that "mode" before my mind is willing to switch gears into enthusiastic pursuit of a hobby.
I'm guessing that, for some people (people who are always a little bit hypomanic), this might be every vacation day for them.
For me, though, all I have to do is to not take those meds... and I'm instantly in a comfortable+complacent "vacation mindset", where my hobbies/passions seem like the only thing I could ever get excited about.
As such, a proposal for anyone having this problem: if you take any stimulants (e.g. caffeine), try laying off them the instant you go on vacation. Maybe you'll relax sooner!
> Hang out in that vacation mode for as long as you can afford to.
Negative. After about 4-6 months without outside pressure, stimulation or feedback, my creative drive goes away. It comes back after I start working again, and then goes away as I realize that I'm burning myself out if I continue doing this in addition to work.
I’m very similar with this regard. I strongly suspect that the „creative thoughts” while at work are just my brain trying to escape the pain of the job, by convincing me I should quit and pursue this interesting thing instead. However, when I quit, I’m overcome with doubt about financial viability of the path I had in mind, I pursue it only half-heartedly for only a couple months, and ultimately I end up finding myself another job. Once I’m there, the sneaky creative thougts come back and I inevitably end up quitting again some 9-18 months later...
This cycle goes on for 7 years now, and my conclusion is that I’m just super-conservative when it comes to money and I will only be free from my worries when I FIRE. My other conclusion is that it’s possible that I really don’t want to do those projects, and they are 100% fantasy I conjure up when sitting in a boring job. I’ll find out if that’s the case when I finally retire.
In week 1, I'm annoyed by my vacation. I don't care about sitting on a beach, I'm bored, I want to get back to solving problems.
In week two, I'm aghast at the mundane routines I've fallen into, bullshit hangouts, errands, and reddit.
Something weird happens in week 3 where all the books you read, all the ideas you have, start to take on this new lightness and optimism and interestingness. Hang out in that vacation mode for as long as you can afford to.
I wish I had more insight into that last state, but it's a very rare day that I take more than a month off work.
For me at least, vacations under 3 weeks are somewhat useless from a "recover your health" standpoint, and I'm much better off spreading a week or two of vacation around in a way that makes many 3 day weeks, giving room to run errands and make non-work life more relaxed across the board, rather than oscillating between tire fires and mandatory relaxation.