How to Beat the Post-travel Blues

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Ohhh those post-travel blues. A “serious” condition that affects millions of people each year. It typically kicks in on that dreaded last day of a memorable and exciting adventure. Leaving a dream vacation to go back to work and responsibilities is definitely hard, but there are ways to help ease the transition.

1. Share your trip with others.

A great way to relive your vacation is simply remembering everything you just did. It’s important to soak in all the moments of joy you had during that weekend, week, month (or year) of travel. People who love you are going to want to hear all about your adventures, so grab a coffee with a friend and exchange stories.  

2. Document it.

Eva wrote a great post a few months ago about how to document a trip. It’s important to document your pictures and memories soon after they happened. Print out some of your best shots and put them in an album, collect postcards, display your souvenirs, or write about your trip in a travel journal or blog. Years from now you will be so excited to relive some of the best moments from your past.

3. Take care of yourself.

It is very common to be thrown off your normal schedule during a vacation. You usually don’t have the same diet or sleep schedule when you’re traveling and oftentimes you have adjusted to an entirely different time zone. Give yourself a day or two to rest and take care of yourself post-vacation. It’s true that sometimes you need a vacation after you just had one because traveling can be tiring. So when you get home eat healthy, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself time to recover from jetlag. And while you’re at it, appreciate that feeling of jumping into your old familiar bed.

4. Explore your own area or take a short road trip.

There is no reason for you to think you can only do and see new things on a trip somewhere exotic. Chances are there are plenty of things you haven’t tried that are just a short drive away from you! Open up the weekend section and pick a new restaurant, hike a trail, or visit a museum. If you have a day or two, take a short road trip somewhere close in between vacations to help satisfy that travel bug. 

5. Pick up a new hobby.

Travel exposes you to new activities and ways of life.  So when you come home you should continue that pattern of trying something new! Start a blog, take a photography or painting class, go salsa dancing. It’s good to be busy and always push yourself to keep learning.

6. Start planning!

Why not start thinking about your next trip? Even if you can’t afford one anytime soon it’s never too early to make a bucket list or travel plan for your next adventure. There is no time like the present. Plus it’s always fun to dream about your next destination and have something to look forward to.

7. Finally, enjoy being home.

There really is no place like home. I wrote a post last summer about the joy of returning home. It is such a warm feeling after being out in the big world to set your suitcase down and bathe in your own shower, sleep in your own bed, open up your pantry and see all the snacks you love. Traveling can be incredible, breath-taking, and eye-opening, but it also serves as a reminder to appreciate everything you already have. (And if you have a dog, you already know how wonderful that feeling is when you walk through the door and get greeted with wet kisses and a wagging tail!)

 

I hope these tips help inspire you to combat the post-travel blues in whatever way works best for you. How do you cope with coming home after a trip somewhere wonderful?

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