How to Recover after Vacation: Dealing with Post-Travel Blues

Let’s be honest, vacation is awesome. In many ways, needed in fact. Time to relax, unwind, explore new places and cultures, and get away from the daily grind. We’ve all had that feeling though of the dreaded return home. All that planning and anticipation, relaxation and exploration, now in the rear view mirror. Thoughts of work deadlines and chores around the house creep in. You need a way to mentally recover after your vacation.

One of the worst parts about PTSS (my made-up “Post-Trip Spontaneous Sadness”), is that it can begin before your vacation is even over. Slowly at first, like a curious cat stalking it’s prey, your daily-life stressors crouch in the shadows of your otherwise sunny vacation mindset. Have you ever counted the days of your trip such that when you get past the half-way point you begin to allow thoughts of work stress to infiltrate into the back of your mind?

“Slowly at first, like a curious cat stalking it’s prey, your daily-life stressors crouch in the shadows of your otherwise sunny vacation mindset.“

-Psychology of Travel

Is this vacation attitude tragedy preventable? Can you salvage the conclusion of your vacation, and is it even possible to successfully recover after your vacation? Fortunately, we can use what we know about psychology to help limit the negative impact of PTSS. In some cases, you can prevent it entirely.

We’ve discussed the mental boosts related to travel in a previous Psychology of Travel post. Here, we’re going to explore four approaches to help manage your mindset specifically at the conclusion of your travels.

Managing Your Attitude After Traveling

“Be grounded in your senses, with non-judgmental gratitude for where you are in that moment.”

-Psychology of Travel

The first approach is to take a stance of mindfulness. This is best employed as your trip is near the conclusion, but not over yet. Use your senses here. Notice what you smell, see, hear, touch, the temperature, tastes, ways the shadows fall, anything that involves your ability to notice the things around you. Be grounded in your senses, with non-judgmental gratitude for where you are in that moment.

This will help your mind leave the tempting pathway towards future “at-home” worries and allow you better enjoyment of this special travel moment. After your mindfulness practice, consider recording the sounds (e.g., crashing waves on the beach, crowing of the condors on your hike, or chirping of the summer insect chorus) to help re-stimulate any positive feelings at later times. You can use your phone for this purpose, or grab a cheap but effective dedicated recording device to take your mindfulness to the next level.

“Take Home” Messages

The second approach to mentally recovering after your vacation is to provide yourself reminders of the experience. This involves embracing all the physical reminders of the trip, such as pictures, souvenirs, or other trinkets related to the trip. Set them out in your home. Look at them. Remember. Unfortunately, it’s so easy to store them away somewhere or simply forget to notice them again!

Don’t let the pictures sit in a dusty photo album (or virtually, behind thousands of other photos in your phone). Put them in a digital frame (I like this nice digital frame through Amazon, #affiliatelink), share them on social media, and actually schedule a few times to look back through the photos between 1 to 2 weeks later.

If you’re so inclined, look back through any journaling you did during the trip. Listen to the audio sounds you recorded during moments of mindfulness. Reflect on those moments, how you felt as you were writing those words or hearing those sounds.

Bed, I Hardly Knew Ye

The third approach to help recover after vacation is perhaps a bit less psychologically stimulating. The third approach is simply this…rest. Get good rest and a good night of sleep upon your return home. There are several reasons for this.

If you are experiencing physiological changes in your nocturnal sleep rhythm (for example, traveling back from another time zone or “jet lag”), it will be very important for your adjustment back to daily life to re-establish good sleep routine. When we are traveling, things are so new and unfamiliar, we often get out of our usual sleep habits. This means that our sleep hygiene, or the patterns we establish to help get consistent sleep, fall by the wayside.

Time to get back into that good consistent sleep, and make sure to appreciate the comforts and familiarity of your own bed.

It’s All About Perspective

The fourth approach is very important. Find a sense of how your recent trip has impacted your perspectives on yourself, others, and how you view the future. You can carry what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown. Although your travels have concluded, the impact of your travel does not have to conclude. Find more about travel and health gratitude in this previous post.

So, what did you appreciate the most during your vacation?

Was it being out in the sun enjoying nature? Build 5 minutes into your daily schedule to step outside, enjoy the sun and fresh air.

Was it having time with your family or friends? Be more intentional about getting together (in-person or virtually).

Was it the physical relaxation as your stress melted off? Do yoga, get a massage, take a hot bath, use essential oils, and don’t forget good ol’ taking deep breaths.

Was it the perspective you gained from the people you met, ways you sought new adventures, or cultural diversity you encountered? Apply it to a current social interaction today.

Ask yourself the question, what would it look like if I applied “x” new perspective to “y” current situation? Don’t let the growth you found during your last trip fade behind the realities of your daily life challenges. If you can’t change your current situation, change the mindset by which you approach it by embracing what you learned about yourself and from others during your most recent travels.

Optimize Your Post-Travel Routine

So, employ mindfulness at the conclusion of your trip, use physical reminders of the experience, get good rest, and apply the inevitable personal growth that comes from travel to refresh your mental outlook upon your return home. In these ways, you will be able to mentally recover after vacation. You might just even find that you’re more ready than ever to conquer whatever comes next.

Happy Travels,

Dr. L
Founder, PsychologyofTravel.com

Comment below with your favorite post-holiday ways to avoid the blues. Plus, remember to sign up for the free Psychology of Travel Newsletter for the latest updates and unique travel tips.

This content may include affiliate links from advertisers.  It may earn a commission from actions readers take on these links (at no cost to you), such as a click, purchase, or subscribe.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.