Even if you’ve come to anticipate the post-vacation blues, the shift back to reality after taking time off can still hit harder than expected. And while that emotional hangover isn’t a clinical diagnosis, feeling depressed after a rejuvenating weekend or thrilling getaway is often about more than just missing sunny skies or hotel breakfasts.
“Vacation for most of us is kind of a high,” Monica Johnson, PsyD, owner of Kind Mind Psychology in New York City, tells SELF. “It’s a new, novel experience that can be jarring when you then come home to the mundane.” Suddenly, every ordinary task (clocking into work, sitting in traffic, reheating bland leftovers) feels painfully dull, and you’re not just nostalgic: You’re hit with emptiness that leaves you wondering, “What now?” It also doesn’t help that most of us don’t get nearly enough days or weeks off from work and/or childcare, making it easy to pin all your hopes for joy, rest, and unstructured fun onto a single holiday.
The good news is that the post-vacation blues should pass within a few days or a week as you settle into your regular rhythm, according to Dr. Johnson. Still, that doesn’t make reentering your responsibility-filled routine any less disorienting. Here’s how experts say you can ease that slump—and potentially avoid it altogether.
1. Prep your space for a smooth, welcoming reentry.
Nothing snaps you out of a vacation high faster than returning to a mess. “A lot of people will come back and see a pile of dishes or laundry on the floor,” Michael Ceely, LMFT, licensed psychotherapist and owner of Ceely Counseling in San Francisco, tells SELF—which is why it’s worth making your space tidy and cozy before heading out.
In other words, change your sheets, take out the trash, run the dishwasher, scrub your tub, or empty your fridge of perishables that might expire. Instead of being greeted with crumbs, clutter, and filth, you’re welcomed into a put-together haven (which Ceely says should help soften the transition from being OOO).
2. Give yourself a buffer day or two.
After days of carefree fun and relaxation, it’s hard for anyone to quickly readjust. For that reason, Ceely suggests leaving time to ease back in when possible. Going forward, it might help to intentionally plan your return for, say, a Saturday night or Sunday morning instead of getting home with barely enough time to prep for the Monday madness. And if you can, keep that day as wide open as possible—not for errands, appointments, or social outings but just to unpack and decompress.
It’s tempting to squeeze every last minute out of your trip or jump right into your to-do list—but trust us, your future self will be so grateful that you gave yourself this breathing room in advance.
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3. Keep the vacation going with simple joys at home.
Of course, when a highly anticipated trip is chock-full of opportunities to chill, escape, or have fun, it’s no surprise that the weeks after feel dull or stressful in comparison. That’s why, once you return, both experts recommend recreating those small moments of vacation-esque spontaneity at home.
“People think they have to plan some grandiose getaway to have the perfect rest when, in fact, you can make a little slice of that at home,” Ceely says. This can look like giving yourself small things to look forward to in your first week back—a reservation at that trendy bar or a post-trip girls’ night out. What sounds “exciting” to you is personal, Dr. Johnson points out. (In other words, if you’re the type who needs one to three business days to bed rot, don’t fill your calendar with an early brunch reservation the morning after. And if you’re a social butterfly, don’t lock yourself in for days of nothing.)
4. Tune into your blues to learn what’s missing in your routine.
As draining as the post-vacation blues can be, it could also be a surprisingly useful signal that something deeper is lacking in your day-to-day. Often, “people use their vacation as a savior from their boring town or job,” Dr. Johnson says. “That’s really too high an expectation to put on one trip. So I encourage people to actually reflect on their emotions and ask: Is there something that needs to be different about your life?”
If you realize you feel much better in the sun and warmth (and can’t stop dreading the freezing temperatures at home), for instance, that may be your clue to plan more winter getaways or even consider relocating somewhere hotter down the line. Maybe you felt more alive while eating fresh flavors abroad—in that case, make a point to visit a new restaurant with friends every month, say, or experiment with cooking up international recipes in your kitchen.
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And if these little changes don’t help? Or your slump lingers for more than a few days? Then it could be worth checking in with a therapist or doctor, according to Ceely. “If the post-vacation blues are going on for two weeks or longer, or if you’re also feeling irritable and having trouble sleeping, these could be symptoms of depression,” he explains. While a restorative trip can highlight what isn’t working in your life, a professional can help you make the lasting changes to build a routine you don’t need to constantly escape from.
Originally published on SELF.
