The month of May is specifically associated with ÎåÔ²¡ (²µ´Ç²µ²¹³Ù²õ³Ü-²ú²â¨­), which translates as ¡°May sickness¡± or the ¡°May blues,¡± and recent media reports suggest, even in April, an increase in ¥á¥ó¥¿¥ë²»Õ{ (mental fuch¨­, mental health problems) among young employees.

This dip in psychological well-being is often attributed to an accumulated Æ£„º (³ó¾±°ù¨­, fatigue) from the new work and school terms that begin in April and rises sharply after ¥´©`¥ë¥Ç¥ó¥¦¥£©`¥¯ (g¨­ruden w¨©ku, Golden Week), the week that includes four national holidays and this year lasts from April 29 to May 6. Getting a week¡¯s break after working hard for a month can sometimes cause people to struggle to get back to the grind.

¥á¥ó¥¿¥ë²»Õ{ often starts with subtle symptoms. Let¡¯s look at a short conversation between two close colleagues to see how they talk about their ¥á¥ó¥¿¥ë²»Õ{: