There's nothing like the dread of returning to "the real world" after a vacation or a three-day weekend, am I right? Vacations often give us a finish line to look forward to, and once they're over, it can be a little harder to get back into our routines than usual. It took me a little bit to get back into the swing of things after leaving Hawaii (can you blame me?!), but I've found a few strategies that help. Here's a few ideas I've used to beat the post-vacation blues:
2. Print Your Photos
Whether you're missing a great vacation or a relaxing three-day weekend, hold on to those memories by printing them. If they're fun memories but you don't want to invest in framing them, you can print 4x6 photos and stick them to a mood board or tack them up in your office. If you have photos you love from a special place, consider printing them larger and hanging them in a home office or bedroom.
3. Snag Some Souvenirs
Selecting a few things that you can either put in a memory box or incorporate into your everyday life after travel is another good way to make the most of a holiday. Obviously this is a little easier and more fun from an extended vacation, but even if you're staying home, the next three-day weekend may be a fun excuse to grab those melamine plates you've been eyeing.
4. Get Back Into Routines
Routine sounds so boring, but I find it so life giving. Whatever it is for you — exercise, list making, goal setting, coffee drinking — get back into it ASAP after a vacation, and you'll feel lots better.
5. Schedule Time With Friends
There's one thing home has that vacation never will — your community. Right after we got back from Hawaii, I texted my friend Kinsey so we could plan a get together with a few of our friends. Having something to look forward to after a fun break makes the "in between" moments more exciting.
Whataya think?! Anything I missed? How do you recover from "post-vacation syndrome"? Let me know!
1. Unpack Quickly
Whether you love or hate packing, we can all likely agree that unpacking is worse. But from my experience, the longer you let that suitcase sit in the corner, the more you'll be wishing you were still putting it to use elsewhere. On recent trips, I've done my best to unpack and do laundry immediately after I return, and it's helped me to feel more productive and ready to enter real life again more quickly. Bonus tip: Clean your house before you leave. Coming back to a clean space feels SO much better than the alternative.Whether you're missing a great vacation or a relaxing three-day weekend, hold on to those memories by printing them. If they're fun memories but you don't want to invest in framing them, you can print 4x6 photos and stick them to a mood board or tack them up in your office. If you have photos you love from a special place, consider printing them larger and hanging them in a home office or bedroom.
Selecting a few things that you can either put in a memory box or incorporate into your everyday life after travel is another good way to make the most of a holiday. Obviously this is a little easier and more fun from an extended vacation, but even if you're staying home, the next three-day weekend may be a fun excuse to grab those melamine plates you've been eyeing.
Routine sounds so boring, but I find it so life giving. Whatever it is for you — exercise, list making, goal setting, coffee drinking — get back into it ASAP after a vacation, and you'll feel lots better.
There's one thing home has that vacation never will — your community. Right after we got back from Hawaii, I texted my friend Kinsey so we could plan a get together with a few of our friends. Having something to look forward to after a fun break makes the "in between" moments more exciting.
Whataya think?! Anything I missed? How do you recover from "post-vacation syndrome"? Let me know!
I am definitely a clean the house person before a vacation which makes coming home so much nicer.
ReplyDeleteUnpacking sucks! If it's a family vacation my mom would make us do all our laundry at the hotel before returning home which means the suitcase is full of clean clothes when we unpack.