September has always been the most depressing month for me.
Just yesterday, I was having the time of my life sipping my cocktail by the beach, indulging in breathless sunsets, attending weddings and birthdays, meeting new friends, reuniting with old friends, seeing my family and eating the yummiest pizza.
Then just like that, I’m back to the routine. Back to waking up early, swiping my card to work, finishing my never ending tasks. Back to doing my own laundry, cleaning my apartment and paying bills. Anddd repeat.
If this sounds familiar, don’t worry you’re not alone. Coming back from summer holidays and much anticipated trips, leaves us with a ton of luggage to unpack, one of which is a feeling of sadness and downheartedness. You have hoped to come back from vacation with more motivation and purpose, but here you are with a lack of them.
Post-travel blues (PTB) also known as post-travel depression or post-vacation blues, is a very normal and common condition that occurs to us when we are back from the holidays. It is a feeling of melancholia mixed in with sadness and anxiety. Potentially, uneasiness with going back to work, school, or some big commitments/goals you have. It is also the result of the fact that you see everyone around you going back to real life; and that feeling that the fun is over.
So how can we make September more barrable and conquer travel blues? From my experiences, here are my tips:
BRING BACK GIFTS TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Okay this might be a bit cheesy but trust me it makes a difference. The best way to feel better when you’re sad is by making other people happy; and what better way to do that than by bringing some souvenirs and gifts from your trip?
Not only will you feel happy while you’re doing the purchase, but you’ll also have something exciting to look forward to as you go back home: seeing the reaction on your friends and family’s faces once you hand them in what you brought.
So be intentional and try to shop for your loved ones on your trip. It will give you something, even if small, to look forward to as you come back. Plus, you might start a gift sharing tradition among your circle which might result in a lot gifts for you in the future. What more could you ask for?
HAVE TRANSITION TIME BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK
Nothing will make you feel worse than returning from a trip and immediately throwing yourself back into your old routine. If you can make it happen, try to have a few days off before you go back to work or school. Otherwise, cut your trip short and get back home on a Friday. That will give you some time to get over your jetlag, unpack, clean and meet with your friends.
You will also have that sense of relief that vacation is actually not entirely over, with a few days left before starting work. It will help you settle back into your life and have some time to decompress, reducing your depression and anxiety.
Trust me, this will make a huge difference! Don’t jump right into work immediately!
PAMPER AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
I cannot stress how much feeling good in your skin can affect your mood and psychology. So one of the key things to consider when you return back from vacation is to take care of how you look and feel. Here is how:
Be intentional in the way you dress – try to wear outfits that make you “feel good”; if you bought new clothes, wear them to the office or when you go out. Don’t just wear joggings or the same clothes you used to wear every day as this will throw you abruptly into your old routine. Instead, try mixing up your clothes and wearing brand new pieces. This “new look” will make you feel fresh and excited to go about your day. You’ll probably get a lot of compliments too which will boost your morale as well.
Twist your workouts – We all know that working out is a key element to feeling good physically and psychologically. Exercising is in fact essential for your brain health since it releases dopamine (associated with reward and motivation) and serotonin (associated with happiness, focus & calmness) boosting your mood and reducing any feelings of anxiety and stress. Exercising will also help you get back in shape after all the extra calories you’ve consumed on your trip, and this again will uplift your confidence.
But my advice to you would be to twist some of your workout routine. Maybe try a new class, or a new sport with a friend. Maybe change the branch of the gym you go to. Anything that adds a bit more excitement and newness to your physical training. I recently tried doing dance cardio classes (305 Fitness for my New York readers, a must try!) vs. only hitting the gym and it definitely put me back on track with exercising in a much trilling way.
So search for something fun and change your workouts, most importantly avoid the couch potato behavior at all cost!
Develop self-care routines – Whether it’s meditation, bubble baths, masks, oils, practicing gratitude, walking in nature, cleaning your house…whatever it is, make sure you do more of what you appreciate once you’re back from vacation. This will make you feel rejuvenated and stress-free. It will help you relax as you detach from your daily routine and have moments for yourself that you look forward to and enjoy.
Feed yourself properly and take vitamin supplements – I am no doctor, but eating nutritious foods and taking vitamin supplements (every day and specially in times of stress) is a no-brainer. So when you are passing through a down time boost your energy with vitamins and proper food intake. I usually take vitamins B and D, which help in regulating my mood, and I monitor my protein intake to keep myself nourished.
Check with your doctor/ nutritionist what vitamins would be good for you. This is really crucial for your overall well-being!
TRY TO ARRANGE FOR FRIENDS OR FAMILY TO VISIT YOU
What’s better than coming back from a trip and having some of those you were with come visit you? This might seem too unrealistic but it happened to me this summer. I was lucky that my best friend, whom I saw over the summer holidays, had a work event in America. So we made sure we squeeze-in a stop-over for her in NYC where I live.
And I really can’t insist how much the thought of her visiting me as soon I return to work made the end-of holidays bearable, even exciting! I really couldn’t wait to be back to NYC as I looked forward to the date she would arrive.
Now I know that I might have been lucky this summer and this may be hard for the most part, but you never know! Try to check around your family or friends group if anyone has a work trip or some additional time-off where they could come and visit you. Even a weekend would be enough to get the anxiety of returning back to work tolerable. You will have a sense that vacation is not over yet, since you still have a full plan to do with whoever visits you! And if it’s their first visit, you will feel like you’re exploring your own city all over again with them, which will make you fall in love with it even more.
So make it a point to try to arrange for such a visit! Fall in love with your life again!
KEEP ON EXPLORING NEW THINGS
Even though you’re back from vacation physically, your mindset is not required to come back entirely with you!
Try to maintain a traveler mindset even when you are back to your routine. A simple way to do that is by keeping the buzz of excitement that comes with trying out new things. Plan your free time in a way that makes you create new experiences such as new hobbies to learn, new places to explore or new people to meet. This doesn’t have to be limited to beyond-work hours or weekends; you can totally do that at work: schedule coffee chats with people you’ve always wanted to meet, plan dinners and lunches with your colleagues and even attend the office events. Keep yourself busy and open to any new experience that comes your way.
SET GOALS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS
This is definitely not a new years’ resolution list, but it’s always good to reflect on your goals after some time off.
Because you’ve gone out of your routine and hopefully was able to gain new perspectives on things during your time off, coming back, you will have more clarity on the things that you want to change in your life . So take that time to sit down and think about the new milestones/ small goals you would like to achieve. Having these outlined will help you be more excited about what’s coming. It will also put you at ease knowing that you are progressing towards a certain direction in your life. A direction that you’ve chosen and have control over.
START PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP
Okay, nothing will make you feel better as much as knowing that you have an upcoming trip sometime in the near future. Even if it’s a couple of months ahead, the thought that there is something exciting happening at the horizon will put you in a better mood. So begin planning your next trip: pick a date, a location, a group of friends – whether just on paper or in actual terms booking things, just do it! Maybe also put your vacation dates on your company’s system!
Getting excited about your next adventure can help you cope with the downswing of ending your current one. Skim through my blog posts to get inspiration for your next destination. That would be a great start.
