Your plane has landed. After going through baggage and customs, your exhaustion sets in sets in. You are now beginning your second descent back to your reality. Brick by brick, your mind begins to put up a wall of protection. An impenetrable fort of strength and solitude that will ward off incoming attacks from forces within the Matrix. The enemy threatening your overall peace is persistent, and hell bent on deconstructing your soul of you let them. Your vacation is over – now what?
If you’ve traveled as much as I have, you’re familiar with the inevitable case of the blues that creeps up on you after a well earned getaway. It’s what happens when you create a narrative that you’re returning to a life of punishment disguised as a 9 to 5 gig, family obligations, and full on adulting.
I know that feeling all too well. I have however, developed 5 ways to fight the post vacation blues that will have you thinking differently about how you perceive your life before, during, and after your time in the sun.
5 Ways To Fight The Post Vacation Blues
- Create A Vacation Playlist – Music heals the soul. When you’re stressed out about that presentation at work, or your finances as you plan for the future, a playlist created by you that sparks memories of good times at the beach, or sleeping in on plush sheets at the resort will be just the happy pill you need. You’ll be surprised how your energy shifts and you’ll feel the gentle pull of your cheeks as a smile appears effortlessly. Let the memories of specific moments of your vacay remind you why you’re hustle and grind is worth it.
- Create The Life You Desire Now – let’s face it. Many of us do not have our dream jobs. That’s ok. Bills are due every month and you have to do what you gotta do. That doesn’t mean you’re required to wait until conditions in your life are ideal before you start that business, network with people who are where you’d like to be, or take small steps towards a new venture and leap into something new. All you have is this moment so why not start being the person NOW who you’d like to be tomorrow.
- Capture The Moment – I don’t have anything to deep to convey here. Just take many photos of your vacation. Now if you’ve read some of my other posts, you know how much I’ve stressed about being present while you’re away. That doesn’t mean you can’t slice out a small part of your time to capture crystal blue waters, that strong cup of Dominican coffee, or that fried red snapper from the small mom and pop restaurant on the beach. Just as music allows you to be transported back to a time and place, a photograph of days spent in paradise can accompany that foot tapping jam. All photos do not need to be posted on Instagram. Save some for yourself to be your own piece of joy when you feel it’s hard to come by in your every day world.
- Gratitude– it’s never a bad time to express gratitude for where you are. Good, bad, or indifferent, it’s serving you in some capacity. The job you’re complaining about every Monday morning is allowing you to have great memories on vacation with friends and loved ones. Always respect what gives you the freedom to take a break from the rat race. If there are changes you need to make in order to be happy, do that – NOW!
- Plan Your Next Vacation – No need to read that twice. You’ve read it correctly. Planning your next time away from the grind can be therapeutic. It can create bonding moments with those you’re traveling with as you hash out the details of a new adventure. Even if your financial situation doesn’t warrant you to take time off in the near future, there is no rule that says you can’t put something on the calendar and work hard to make it happen. Time flies by quickly so while you’re off working your daily gig, it will eventually be time for you to take off once again to create new memories. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You can take your time working towards new goals that include organizing exciting destinations to discover.
That’s all I have for now. I hope these 5 suggestions can provide you with something impactful as you diligently work towards creating the life you want. Most of us who don’t have the last name Kardashian have to work unfortunately. Our time away enjoying what the great big world has to offer can sometimes provide an illusion that dissolves the moment your plane touches down in your city. The vacation blues don’t have to plague you without your permission. You can utilize my 5 ways to fight it, or discover your own tricks that can spark joy in your life.
