Tips for Dodging the Post Vacay-Blues

The post vacay blues are real & take it from me… they can be ROUGH.

Last year I got it bad when we were back from Summer vacation & I will never forget the serious slump I was in. I cried when Zack had to go back to work (actually, I cried when he had to go take a shower. LOL) & literally sat on my couch for a week drowning my sorrows in cereal (my sad food) & Lifetime movies.

Yes… absolutely ridiculous, but also makes total sense & happens to A LOT of people. You are basically going from living life at 60… way back down to zero. Even if you have a really eventful life back at home (I don’t- mainly just working), it’s still such a difference from being on vacation. When I am on vacation I am a totally different human. I am all about go go go, see see see, do do do & I rarely touch my computer. It’s the polar opposite from who I am at home… so yea, the switch back can be a reallll Debbie Downer.

This year, Zack was prepared. Our first morning home he made me breakfast in bed & brought me flowers and a sweet card as if he was ready for me to flood the house with tears the second my eyes opened. Sweet of him, but nope… not this year. I remembered how sad I was last year, so I decided to switch things up & do things differently this year.

First things first, LET’S TALK JETLAG

Jetlag only adds to the post vacay blues & can ALSO easily ruin the first few days of a good trip (which will in turn make you even more sad thinking you wasted anytime while away) so let’s talk about some of my tried & true ways to make jetlag a little less painful on either end of an epic trip. 

1. HYDRATE, hydrate, & hydrate some more. I have made the mistake of not drinking enough water way too many times while travelling (hate peeing on planes) that I have finally learned my lesson.They say the climate of an airplane is similar to that of the Sahara Desert, so it makes you tired/groggy/& kinda feeling hungover. It doesn’t stop jetlag completely, but helps fight added fatigue due to being super dehydrated.

2. Sorry to be a buzzkill… but avoid the booze. I can’t say I always follow this one on the way to my destination, but ALWAYS on the way home. Leaving is kind of a celebration & it’s a ritual for me to have atleast one Bloody Mary before a flight & then one on board… but THAT’S IT. Don’t be that person who gets wasted on a flight… not only is it super annoying for everyone else, but it will literally be the worst hangover of your life in a foreign city. NO FUN. Booze is also a depressant… so it will only add to the post vacay sadness.

3. No Naps! On either end of the trip, the best way to beat jetlag is to get used to your new timezone ASAP. So, when you land in a foreign country or get home, don’t go straight to bed. No matter how tired you are, stay awake until it’s a proper time to go to bed (take a walk & get some fresh air, wakes you right up!). Trust me, the quicker you can get on a routine, the better. I typically stay up super late (2am-ish) at home so it was actually really easy for me to go to bed at a normal 10pm bedtime when abroad. When I got back, I was right back on schedule with my (not the healthiest) 2am bedtime.

4. Sleep Shifting is key!!! I don’t have to sleep shift really because my sleep schedule is already shifted about as far as it can shift… but if you typically go to bed super early at home than sleep shifting is for you. For a few nights leading up to your trip, go to bed 1 hour later each night. It won’t get you all the way there, but definitely closer to your new schedule. You can also do this when you get to your destination by going to bed earlier- which works for me cause I am always SO tired the second my head hits the pillow.

5. To sleep or not to sleep on the plane? That is the question.  Always always always, SLEEP! Try to just get atleast a few hours on any long haul flight in any direction. People think if they stay awake they can get back on track better when they get to their destination (home or away), but that’s not the case. The plane adds extra exhaustion to your life, so you definitely won’t be getting too much sleep. Plus, it’s the quickest way to pass the time.

Speaking of planes… we flew Norwegian this year on our way out & it was amazing for our jetlag! They have a fresh air system that brings in humidity from outside, dissolves perfume particles (hate when planes reek of 50 different scents) & provides optimal cabin pressures. All of these components result in way less jetlag/dehydration/headaches. Not sponsored, this is truth!

Now that you’re home…

so… now your back & already bored to tears. you’ve got 900 loads of laundry, bags to unpack, grocery shopping to be done, etc. etc. just three days ago you were laying on the beach being delivered margaritas, & now your laying in a pile of dirty clothes being delivered… pizza, because you literally have no food to eat. NO WONDER PEOPLE GET DEPRESSED AFTER VACATION. Am I right? Here are some of my best tips to battling that dreaded post vacay depression.

1. start brainstorming your next trip! the main reason people get so sad after vacation is because they miss the excitement of seeing new things & being in a new place. this year, the night we got home, Zack & I sat on the couch and researched fun trips we could take around Southern California. Weekend trips, camping trips, things to see, etc. We now have a travel folder with bookmarks of all the cool places we want to see & are already planning a weekend adventure. Also, we love checking out the AirBNB top picks & have created our own AirBNB wishlist (didn’t know you could do this, so fun!!). Check out this cocoon suspended in air in France– so amazing!!!

2. Give yourself a window!!! You may want to stay on vacation as long as humanely possible, but if you have to be back in the office Monday… give yourself some time to adjust. Yes, you’re gonna have to give up a day or two in paradise, BUT going to work one day after getting home from a trip is actually physically painful & just not worth it. Get home early enough to have time to get everything in order PLUS time for a day of sitting on the couch doing nothing. Trustttt me.

3. Workout, STAT. Working out increases endorphins & endorphins make you happy. Go for a walk or hit up the gym. I had plans to work out the Monday after I got home with my trainer, but sadly I got sick (plane germs are the worst)… but the second my throat isn’t swollen shut, I will be sweating it out.

4. Eat Clean. Yes, we ordered pizza the night we got home because we were starving & had no food, but this was NOT a good idea. Eating shit just adds to the depressing travel hangover. Start eating clean as soon as you can. Especially if you came from Europe, where everything is so clean & organic (minus the gelato & excessive amounts pasta).

5. Leave with a clean house. This is probably my number one tip. I honestly forgot how my house looked when I left & didn’t know what to expect when I got home. Walking into a perfectly clean house was A DREAM & made life 900000 times easier.

6. Share your experiences! What better way to relive your trip over & over again than by sharing it with your loved ones. Zack & I have already shared a lot of our pictures with our family but I am extra lucky cause I get to share it all with you guys. on top of that, we are making a video out of our trip that is going to be EPIC & for the big debut we will he having a Greek themed viewing party (complete with gyros, baklava, & grape leaves!) for friends & family at our house. I can’t wait- it will be so fun to see it all in motion & of course, you guys will get to see it too!