Do you ever suffer from post-vacation blues? I try to have a positive outlook on life, but returning from a vacation sometimes puts me into an emotional slump. I don’t like that feeling, so here are some ways I’ve tried to avoid post-vacation blues. Maybe these tips will help you as well.
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Needing to Change
We had a terrific time visiting our eldest son and his wife, but I always get stressed and depressed upon returning home. This is me today, dealing with massive piles of laundry in the aftermath of our vacation to California.
There are a variety of reasons for these post-vacation blues, laundry being just one of them. Actually, the aftermath of this trip is nothing compared to returning home from a camping trip, but there is still stress. How might I have avoided this? I thought of three ways I could have planned better.
Post-Vacation Strategy #1:
Keep the Calendar Open: No Immediate Commitments
I did not do this, and this morning I was scrambling around, running late, unable to get organized. The purse I wanted to take with me was nowhere to be found, and there was no way I was going to take my gigantic “airport purse” with me to my commitment today. I settled for a different purse, put the first load of laundry in the washer, and hastily departed. I returned to the house shortly thereafter to retrieve my forgotten laptop. It would have been so much better for my mental health if I would have cancelled my commitment.
The second factor that added to my post-vacation blues was that we are currently hosting a house-guest. He’s a very nice house-guest, but I felt I could not truly relax or wear the crummy-looking clothes I really wanted to wear while I was unpacking.
Post-Vacation Strategy #2:
Avoid Post-Vacation House Guests if Possible
Sometimes, the house-guest factor is not entirely within your control. Also, some house guests are less work than others. If possible, try to avoid having a house guest staying with you when you return from your trip. There are exceptions, of course, and the situation may not be in your control. You want to be hospitable, but keep this in mind when others are planning to visit you.
Post Vacation Strategy #3:
Plan Something Easy for Dinner
One of the things that saves me the most meal-prep time is cooking meat ahead of time. Sometimes, I will brown two or three pounds of ground beef with some chopped onion and green pepper or celery to make what I call a “Meat Mix”. When the meat and vegetables are cooked, I divide the mix into small plastic containers (about half a pound of meat in each container) and stick into the freezer. I also boil boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chop into bite-sized pieces, then divide among small freezer containers.
I found one container of Meat Mix left in the freezer (Hooray!), so tonight’s dinner is going to be an easy pasta night, with garlic bread from the freezer and a quick tossed salad. Bonus: I’m going to also try the pasta sauce on top of cooked spaghetti squash from the garden (thus preventing garden guilt). I might be the only one who tries the sauce on the squash, but that’s okay.
Three Days Later
I’m feeling much more calm, relaxed and happy now, nothing like the way I was feeling at the top of this roller coaster three days ago, but this was also fun. 
I found my missing purse, I am half-finished with the laundry, and dinner is going to be a snap. I just need to remind myself of these post-vacation-blues-avoidance strategies the next time I take a vacation. Do you suffer from post-vacation blues? If so, here are some more resources I found which might be helpful:
The Stress-Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity (Audiobook-Free with Audible Trial)
Why You Feel So Stressed Out After A Vacation: And what to do about it.(Huffington Post article)
How to Deal With Post-Vacation Letdown (NBC News article)
Plan for Success
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To your success!
Lisa Mitchell is a wife, mom, and school librarian who likes to create and share recipes, often using fresh ingredients from her family’s small Pacific Northwest farm. To learn more about what this website has to offer, click on over to the About page.
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Keeping the calendar open is key! I filled up the week after vacation and am regretting it so much! In addition to play dates and appointments, I have errands to run! And I just want to relax!
Agreed! Thanks for your supportive comment. I hope you do get some time to relax. Have a super day!