How to Get Over Your Post-Vacation Blues

Whether you’re taking an out-of-town trip or a simple staycation to unwind from the hassles of everyday life, you’ll eventually have to come back to your routine of work/school/etc. And when you do, you want to make sure that you’re up to speed and good to go.

So instead of being hung up on your vacation – i.e. getting the “post-vacation blues” – you can come back refreshed and energized to take life on, and here’s how you can do it in a few easy steps:

1. Adjust your sleep schedule ahead of time
If your vacation has you travelling between time zones, adjusting your sleep schedule is especially important since jet lag can affect your body’s circadian rhythm and make you feel groggy at school or at work.

It might also help to return a day earlier than what you planned. Give yourself a buffer day between returning home and going back to work in order to adjust.

2. Bring back souvenirs
Having a souvenir helps make the transition from your vacation to your old routine since it will remind you of the fun you during your trip. Keeping the fun memories and experiences you had is a great way for you to relieve stress and anxiety.

This would also be a great way to practice your gift-giving skills by finding the right souvenirs to give to your friends and family members. Even if they won’t like it as much as you did, it’s the thought at the end of the day that truly counts.

3. Introduce small elements of your trip into your daily life
You can try incorporating recipes or try taking foreign language classes, or even something as simple as changing your phone’s, or desktop’s, wallpaper into a picture you took of that place as something to remember by.

By infusing your home or work life with these little elements, you get to keep the excitement and sense of discovery. If you just came back from a short vacation abroad, this will help you expand your sense of identity and culture.

4. Know what to expect when you get back to work
Staying up-to-date doesn’t just mean keeping in mind any unfinished tasks that you left during your vacation, but also on any new tasks assigned to you whether they are urgent or not.

Once you’re brought up to speed, don’t try to tackle all your work all at once! This can easily make you anxious and panic the moment you get back from vacation. Instead, try mapping out your day and take your assignments one step at a time.