So you’ve had an amazing holiday, soaked up the sun, the culture, the slow pace and now it’s back to the grind. Work has resumed and there is still a pile of washing to be done and bags to be unpacked and you still have sand in your shoes. You feel low and can’t shake the feeling.
To date, there is no consensus in the scientific community on the existence or otherwise of post-holiday blues. What happens to most people is that they suffer a certain amount of stress when changing the beach and the beach bar, or skiing or family time for the alarm clock, early morning school runs, loads of emails etc. So whatever the symptoms or the cause here are a few tips I’ve found that help me transition back without too much trouble.
Before you leave your holiday…
1. Do some washing
I always try and book an apartment with a washing machine especially with the kids and so I wash as much as I can before we leave. It’s much nicer unpacking a suitcase full of clean clothes and putting them away in the cupboard then having piles of dirty washing to wade through the week after you get back. I even did it on our recent trip to Italy on the campsite – trust me it make a difference.
2. Do something on holiday you can relive at home
I like to take a local cooking class, or in Venice I did a mask painting workshop. These are things you can do over and over again when you get home and will take you to the happy place you had on holiday. A cooking class is great and can become one of your weekly dishes so be sure to try all the local cuisine and experience the place you’re in.
3. Wrap your souvenirs
When you are packing, wrap any little souvenirs or gift you got yourself in paper or tissue before packing them in your bag….all will become clear.
As soon as you get back….
4. Unpack
Unpack as soon as you can. There is nothing worse than tripping over suitcases to remind you of your trip! It won’t take long if you did manage to wash before you left, put the washing on and find a little place for all those souvenirs and gifts. But don’t unwrap them yet.
5. Make time to open your souvenirs
Those little things you kept, maps, trinkets etc that you wrapped before you left, after a few days open them. Leave them for a few days so you can enjoy opening them, rewrap and label gifts for other people and deicide where your new trinkets are going to live and put them up.
6. Print some photos
Use one of the phone apps that give you free prints each month to select the best 50 photos from your holiday. Order them and in fews days to a week they will arrive in the post. When you’ve a bit of free time get yourself a cup of tea or glass of wine and write a few notes about where it was and the memories of the day. You’ll enjoy looking at them over and over.
7. Plan something for the weekend
Meet up with friends for dinner or drinks, plan a day out with the kids, have brunch with your bestie. Whatever you do plan something nice for the weekend that you can look forward to. Meeting you with friends is always go as you can tell them all about your fantastic holiday.
8. De-clutter
You survived out of a suitcase for two weeks, so fill a bag with stuff you don’t need and take it to a charity shop. We all have stuff we don’t use to have a bit of a spring clean and a clear out. It will keep your mind and yourself busy and you’ll feel like you’ve achieved something.
9. Give yourself some time
One of the things about holidays is you give time for yourself, time for family and friends, and time to do things you love. It’s easy to get back into the daily grind but try and incorporate some of the good habits when you get back. Seek out things to do for a mini staycation near you. Also remember the symptoms will last for about 10-15 days at most, and you will gradually return to your normal state.
In a few weeks/months….
10. Plan you r next trip
The thing to beat all those is to start a plan for your next trip. Now this is a powerful one but also need to be treated with care. You don’t want to do it too soon after your trip that you miss out on reliving the holiday you just had. Also you don’t want to spend your life wishing it away from one holiday to the next. But even having a plan to go away later in the year will keep your spirits lifted on those wet, rainy days. It’s really tempting to start dreaming about your next escape before you’ve even finished unpacking, but living from holiday to holiday is a sign you need to make the everyday more enjoyable. Organise things to look forward to now – this week or the coming weekend. Perhaps a new exercise class, or a glass of wine with a friend you haven’t seen for a while.