How To Deal With Post-Vacation Blues?

Getting away from it all, on a vacation, is hugely beneficial for mental and physical health and wellbeing. 

One of the reasons why it’s common to have post-vacation blues is because escaping on an adventure allows you to temporarily take your mind off the stuff that’s causing you stress or worry. When you’re relaxing on a beautiful sun-kissed beach in Mexico, or spending time sightseeing, it’s OK to put the mundane realities of life on hold.

Unfortunately, when you return from your break all of the negative aspects you set aside whilst enjoying a change of scenery, suddenly require your urgent attention.

The positive effects of a vacation can linger long after you get back home, provided that you’re prepared to make a few changes to your day-to-day routine. Flicking through the pages of your beautiful bespoke travel photo albums will help to transport you back to those happy and magical carefree moments of your vacation, whenever you need an instant pick-me-up.

Ease Yourself Back Into The Daily Grind

Once you’re officially back in your normal life, it’s important not to overload yourself, if you want the feel-good vacation mood to last for a while. Instead of diving straight into the routine, schedule or chores that you put on pause, aim to gradually transition back into normality.

It can be helpful to make a priority list of the most important things that you need to do or address so that you can gently ease yourself back into the daily grind. Maintain the relaxed mañana vibe by not putting yourself under any pressure at home or in the workplace. 

If your heart and mind are still at the beach in Mexico when your body is back in the office, be gentle with yourself at the end of the working day. Relax and put your feet up at home, and enjoy a few treats.

Bring Back Some Souvenirs

One of the easiest ways to remind yourself of the wonderful travel experience you have just enjoyed is to bring back a souvenir. Every time that you look at the souvenir you’ll be reminded of the good times you had on your vacation.

When you’re shopping for gifts to bring back for family members and friends, remember to choose something special and meaningful for yourself too. A pretty piece of hand-painted art like these Alebrijes from Oaxaca, or a little trinket from the local tourist shop, can be a highly effective mood enhancing charm to help you combat the post-vacation slump.

You can also keep post-vacation blues at bay by filling up your travel photo albums with a selection of your favourite photos. Add captions, comments, anecdotes and notes, to bring the images to life.

Create Healthy New Habits

One of the things that most people look forward to on vacation is unplugging from the real world. Unplugging yourself from your mobile devices, email inbox, or anything else that keeps you permanently on alert, allows you to switch off and enjoy being.

Taking a step back from your daily habits, while on vacation, gives you space to find clarity and a sense of peace. Your mindset shifts when your biggest concern of the day is whether you want to swim or sunbathe on the beach, or which cocktail to sip whilst you admire the panoramic sunset views. 

To benefit from the positive aspects of taking a vacation, it’s a great idea to create some healthy new habits to replace the ones that were causing you stress or negativity. You can shop for ingredients to cook dishes that are inspired by the local cuisine that you enjoyed on your trip. Or boost your exercise regime by making time to go for a swim or a walk, like you did every day when you were on vacation.

Relive Happy Travel Memories

Take advantage of all of the digital advancements that mean that you can enjoy viewing vacation photographs almost instantly. Back in the day, it would take hours (or even days) to get the photos of your trip developed at a photo shop. 

Nowadays you can relive happy travel memories every time that you browse your mobile device or digital camera. Or when you view the printed photos in your themed travel photo albums. You can even plan a vacation theme night, and screen your holiday snaps on a huge TV, for your family and friends to see. 

Plan Your Next Vacation

An excellent way to deal with post-vacation blues is to focus on planning your next getaway. The planning process of any trip is exciting, regardless of whether it’s a weekend, a week, or an extended duration.

Do you long to revisit a favourite destination, or do you want to enjoy a once in a lifetime travel experience? Are you planning a solo trip, a holiday with your partner or friends, or a family affair? Get your travel photo albums out for inspiration, and enjoy daydreaming about all of the exotic places you would like to visit. 

If you’re not able to get away for a few months or the rest of the year, you can still maintain a positive and upbeat frame of mind, and an excited state, by reminding yourself what a great time you will have on vacation. Every time that you catch a glimpse of the souvenir you bought back home from your last trip, you’ll be reminded that the departure date of your next vacation is getting closer.