Make the Magic Last: Reentering Daily Life After Vacation

We’ve all been there. You just came back from vacation, and you feel so refreshed. But there’s only one problem—you have to return to reality.

For the majority of us, this is soul-crushing. Having to return to work, school, and the daily grind can put a damper on anyone’s post vacay mood. On the other hand, you want to relish the fact that we got to go away for a while, connected with your partner, seed family and friends, and made new memories.

This isn’t uncommon, though. Having to return to daily life, however, puts a dark cloud over most people. But you don’t have to let that dark cloud ruminate over your mind. Instead, you can find little ways to make the magic of your vacation last.

Try to Take a Couple of Days Off After Your Vacation

Do you ever feel like you need a vacation after your vacation? There’s a good reason for that! When you return home from a vacation, you have so much to do. Unpack, laundry, go grocery shopping, go through the mail, pay bills…the list is endless! Give yourself grace and your partner grace as your return to responsibilities. And take your time.

Even if you get home on a Friday, you will still need some time to get all of that done on top of decompressing. There’s no worst feeling than rushing around after a vacation—it basically negates all the relaxation you just had! So instead of immediately rushing back to work, try to schedule an additional two days off from work the week you return.

Not only will it give you time to slowly complete the things you need to get done, but it will help your mind and anxiety levels not doing all of that rushing. Sometimes, the anxiety and let down of a post vacation period can lead to conflict with your partner. This is not surprising; all of your home bound problems are waiting for you as soon as you return!

Prioritize Your Work Day

You’re coming back home to a laundry list of things you need to do. Then you walk into work, and there is another laundry list of items you have to catch up on. Not only is this frustrating, but it can feel overwhelming too. So whether you work from home or at an office, make sure you take the first part of your day to prioritize what needs to get done by the day and then the week. Communicate these with your partner and divide and conquer when it comes to household tasks.

You’ll be less likely to feel overwhelmed knowing precisely what you need to do, but you will be able to make your transition back to work smoother.

Put Your Souvenirs to Good Use

One of the most complex parts of returning back to work is wishing you were still in your vacation spot, and you’re probably still smiling over the great time you had. Like any good traveler, you probably bought home with you some souvenirs to help you cherish the trip. But don’t just put them away somewhere you won’t see them.

Instead, use your souvenirs to ease the transition back into everyday life is by immediately putting those souvenirs to good use. Do this by putting some of your souvenirs around your house or workplace. This will give you something to look at during the more dull moments of the day. Reminders around you of your romantic vacation with your partner and the connection you shared will reactivate those feelings when you glance over at a photo of you on vacation. Plus, it’ll give you great motivation to save up those vacation days for next year!

Take Small Breaks at Home And Work

It’s really easy to get burned out quickly after returning to work after a vacation. While it can be tempting to tackle everything all in one day or at once, it will be much better if you do things in increments. Work at a few things for an hour, then take a small 10-minute break. Rinse and repeat. Breaking things up into smaller, manageable steps will help prevent any of the relaxation benefits you got from vacation from fading away too quickly. Take excellent care of yourself so you can be the partner you want to be.

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If you are having a hard time adjusting after vacation, you are not alone. Please reach out to my office to get the support you need through life transitions counseling.