When you come home from a vacation, it can be a struggle to get back into your routine. Post-travel daydreams can leave you unmotivated and a little blue. However, with some planning and a few simple tricks you can feel refreshed and motivated to bring that which excited you on your trip into your life. Plus, planning for the next vacation is almost as good as the holiday itself! Here are some tried and true tricks for beating the post-vacation blues:
Unpack
If nothing else, unpack your bags as soon as possible. It might be the last thing you want to do, but waiting will not make it any easier. Kind of like pulling off the band-aid, unpacking and putting everything away makes the end of the vacation real and commits you to the present time and place. If you can, drop your vacation laundry at a laundromat, then it will not be like work to wash away the last vestiges of your vacation.
Plan The Next One
Where to next? Maybe a quick search of Jamaica resorts will get your travel juices flowing in a new direction. While you are doing all you can to move on from the last vacation, take some time to reflect on your trip and share the details with friends and family. Download your photos, organize your memorabilia, and mail those postcards. Think about what you experienced, learned, and start planning again! There is nothing more exciting about planning a vacation of a lifetime except going on that vacation.
Go Grocery Shopping
Most likely whatever is in your fridge smells pretty funky. Clean it out and restock with new, fresh food. Stock up on your basics and regular snack foods. This might not seem like much, but it will go a long way to making your home feel like home again.
Detox
One of the best things about traveling is ignoring all your “diet rules”; the flavors, the sugary drinks, the umpteen billion calories. You are home and getting back to your routine is important and helping your body recover from the indulgences will make you feel better physically and mentally.
Get Some Exercise
Maybe your vacation was a magical hiking excursion to see Manchu Pichu, however if it was not and the only stair your climbed were the ones out of the pool, getting back into your exercise routine will work much the same as detoxing. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. And tuning out everything, but the treadmill will help blast those thoughts away and give you a feel-good boost of energy.
Balance Your Budget
Depending on where you traveled, it may have been weeks since you saw your last up-to-date bank statement. Be sure to double check all your charges in case there are any you need to dispute. Getting a grip on your post-vacation balance will also inform your spending decisions in the coming months and you can start saving for the next trip.
Beat The Jetlag
Staying hydrated (start on the plane ride home, if not sooner) and getting back to your regular sleep pattern is important. If you are extremely jet lagged you can take melatonin or sleep aids to help set your clock right. Leaving a day or two between arriving home and heading to the office will also give you time to reset your clock. Hydration is key here — drink more water!
