Vacations reduce stress, boost your health, your general sense of well-being as well as your creativity, as also shown in several studies.
The thing is, however, that the happiness we feel on vacation usually doesn’t last long after returning back to work. A few days in the office can clear away all the positive effects in an instant, and we find ourselves busy in the hamster-wheel, that we tried to escape from.
So, what can we do, to extend the positive vibe and to avoid post-holiday depression?
I want to share with you my list of things and activities, that I have collected and tried over the years, to help me continue with the holiday bliss.
1) Stay in vacation mood…
Connect with friends and family - if returning from vacation you yearn for continued social connections, reconnect with people that matter to you. Go visit, share a meal, start a conversation. Or keep up the intensified connection with those you were visiting or travelling with.
Document and share your memories - If in the deep of your heart and mind you’re not ready to come back from vacation, you can prolong the experience by printing, organizing, uploading, and sharing your vacation photos. You may jot a few additional notes in your journal. If you feel artistic, you can revisit your vacation emotionally by painting, sculpting, or drawing memorable scenes.
Write reviews to help other travelers - While your experiences are fresh in your mind, it’s a good idea to write reviews in online travel services, leaving tips and cautions that might improve someone else’s vacation. Not only will writing solidify your memories, your advice could boost a local business or prevent someone from making the same mistakes you did.
Get outdoors - While during vacation we tend to spend most of our times outdoors, studies have shown that on returning home, people usually spend over 90% of their lives inside buildings. I encourage you to go out, spend time in nature to improve your mood and to drop your stress level. Just a short, but regular stroll in nature can have the calming and restorative effect, similar to a short vacation. If you can’t go out regularly, think about bringing the outdoors in. A few pots of fresh herbs on your balcony, more indoor plants, or fresh flowers can make your home more inviting.
Incorporate a new practice - Did you encounter some new custom or habit that you liked? You may also decide to study a new languageor want to try a new way of cooking, eating, shopping, or dressing. Whatever practices appealed to you during your travels, consider how you can incorporate them into your life.
Disrupt your routines - One of the benefits of traveling is discovering something unexpected, while hometown may feel familiar and boring. Become a visitor to the place you live, explore it as if you were a vacationer. Or tour a museum you’ve never visited, try a new restaurant, read travel guides for your hometown, and see it through new eyes.
2) …and manage your sanity at work
Do not start the first day by checking emails - Starting your first day back at work by checking you emails will do nothing other than make you shocked and frustrated. Yes, there are likely hundreds or even thousands of unread messages, but none of them so important that they can’t wait another hour. Remember, everyone else is probably feeling exactly the way you are, so it’s okay to take a little bit longer to ease back into things again – especially this year.
Take time to get things organized - Take the first few hours back at work to get yourself re-situated and organized. Check in with your team or some co-workers. The simple act of communicating with a colleague has a twofold bonus. One, it helps to put you back into a working mindset, and two, connection is a mood booster.
Plan your day - Create a list of items that must get done on your first days back. When you’re struggling to focus and don’t know where to even start, this is a great way to stay on track and accomplish the bare minimum. And try prioritizing your tasks.
Find your purpose - We need to feel motivated and that we have a purpose at our jobs. What’s the why of your organization? How does your job contribute to the bigger picture? How does it resonate with your life purpose? Try to formulate your why and your purpose. Will help you not just in post-holiday phase, but all along your career.
Follow through on a change you considered while away - Vacations can be thought-provoking and sometimes even life-changing. When we’re out of our usual places and routines, we gain new perspectives. If you found yourself thinking about your purpose, career goals or quality of life, now might be a good time to take some small steps in the direction of the life you want to build. Reach out, get help and don’t let the momentum fade away.
What do you do, to maintain the good mood of the summer vacations?