How to Handle Those Post-Vacation Blues

How to Handle Those Post-Vacation Blues

Your vacation should be highlight of your summer, those days and weeks when you trade the cares and woes of home and the workplace for the relaxation and exhilaration that accompany kicking back or taking to the road. Moreover, decades of research confirm how critical those breaks are in bolstering mental health and empowering people to take on the challenges the rest of the year is sure to present.

That transition, however, can be difficult, and some people grapple with minor dread and depression at the prospect of returning to their “real” lives after a wonderful vacation. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ease your way back into your routine without feeling overwhelmed and overworked.

Take A Day: If your schedule allows, be sure to make the day after you arrive home a buffer day. That means no work, no plans and a full day dedicated to getting back into the swing of things. Unpack those bags, get the washer and dryer going, go through the mail and spend some quality time with those pets. Just 24 hours spent in this way will greatly facilitate your transition back to your regular life.

You’ve Got Mail: There’s nothing worse than returning to a slew of angry emails from people wondering where you are and why you’re not responding to them. To avoid that, be sure to notify people ahead of time regarding the dates you won’t be available. If you still come home to a ton of messages in your inbox, remember that you don’t have to get everything done at once. Take a deep breath, arrange the messages into folders based on urgency and give yourself a couple of days to return them.

Hit the Gym: Vacations often mean interruptions in our workout routines; after all, who wants to hit the gym in New Orleans when you could be hitting the bars? Returning as soon as possible to your established exercise regimen, however, will help you overcome the post-vacation blues. Going for a run, trying some yoga or even simply taking long walks releases the awesome feel-good endorphins you will need to overcome the obstacles that await you.

Hit the Hay: Likewise, it’s not unusual for people to sacrifice sleep amid the excitement of vacation. As with your workout, reinstate your standard sleep schedule as soon as possible. Research shows that getting the proper amount of shut eye is essential to good physical and mental health, and your post-vacation situation is no exception.

Get in Touch with Your Feelings: For many, coming back from vacation is like coming down from a high, with all that means in terms of feeling low and blue. That is OK; indeed, it is to be expected. Acknowledge those feelings but then remind yourself that this mini-funk will soon pass. Remember that all vacations are temporary and that the future holds many more enjoyable excursions to come.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.