How do you feel when you return from a vacation? Are you relaxed and rejuvenated or do you feel stressed out and rushed?
In my time working for the airlines I have seen so many travelers returning home from awesome vacations who seemed completely stressed out. They are already thinking about their return to every day life instead of reflecting on the great times that they experienced during their trip. Some travelers even get so discouraged by stress while they return from vacation that they are often deterred from leaving for another vacation.
Don't add stress to your travel. You should be able to enjoy your trip and not worry about what's happening when you get home.
When you return home from vacation you should take some time to decompress from your trip, mentally prepare for the days ahead, and get some rest. Travel can be hard on your body, just because your vacation is over does not mean you should jump right back into day to day life.
Most travelers do not spend any time planning their return home. This is a mistake. You should always have a plan for the first few days after your return. Creating a plan will help you to complete your vacation with less stress and better prepare you to ease your way back into the daily grind.
If you find yourself getting stressed out while returning from vacation and after getting home, use some of these tips and strategies to add some serenity to your life when you come home:
- Don't Cut it Close
Try to build in an extra day between your return and the next time that you need to go to work or school. You don't want to be thinking about work before you get home. Adding an extra day to decompress from your travels will help you to be rejuvenated from vacation. Use your extra day to do laundry, look at pictures, and relax.After you have been home for a day then you will be better prepared to return to your daily life.
An extra day is also practical for travel purposes. If you encounter a travel delay then your extra day buffer zone will ensure that you won't miss your next day of work.
Return to a Clean Home
Staying in a hotel is always nice because of the daily housekeeping. Returning to a clean hotel room is always a refreshing feeling. Before you go on vacation, make sure you clean up your house. Make the bed, do the dishes, and pick up scattered items to declutter the home. You'll love coming home to a clean house and you won't feel the need to start cleaning things up immediately.Budget for More Than Vacation
Your day to day expenses and monthly bills do not stop when you leave for a trip. You will need to get back to regular expenditures as soon as you return home. Make sure you don't spend all of your money while on vacation. You never want to be dead broke when you get home. Set some money aside before you leave so you will have some cash when you get home. You may also want to pay your bills before you leave for your trip so you won't have to worry about them when you return home. Money related stress is some of the worst.
Additional travel money tips: avoid credit cards, stay on a travel budget, research approximate trip costs before leaving
Gas Up the Car
Return to your vehicle with a full tank of gas so you don't need to add an extra gas station trip on your way home from the airport.Have a Trusted Contact
Share your general travel plans with someone you trust before you leave. It is always a good idea for someone to know whereabouts in the world you are. You may need someone to check in on your home from time to time, and just be available if you need any help while you are away.
If you follow these few pieces of advice then I guarantee you will have less stress during your travels and returning home will be a good experience. Travel is a wonderful thing, but it is important to prepare for your return or you may end up thinking about home instead of enjoying your vacation.
What are some of your return from vacation preparations? I would love to hear how you get ready before you leave for vacation, and what you like to return to. Please leave a reply!
Excellent article.
I always feel compelled to go into work right the next day, because I don’t want to lose an annual leave day. All that happens is that I end up waiting for the weekend to ‘reset’.
Thanks for checking it out!
These are all amazing tips! I really appreciate it. I will try this tips when I travel next year! I like the first and second tip because mostly I choose my return ticket a day before my work and I feel so drained and tired when I get to work the following day.
Thanks for reading! You will really see a difference if you add an extra day to recover from your trip. It's like a vacation from vacation and it's a critical component to my trip planning.
You are right and I will really make sure to do that! Thanks @quantumtravels for your great tips!!
Thank You for reading!
I have to admit I am sometimes like that when I return home from a vacation. It's like we're back to reality again and our times in paradise is finally over. Something like that. But, I realized that it's not healthy to think that way. Well, I do some of the tips you cited here before I go to leave for a vacation. Nothing feels more relaxing after a long travel than coming into a fresh and clean home, without worrying to do some household chores before you could rest and get ready for the another battle at work the next day.