When you return from vacation, it can be quite overwhelming to get back to real life and its routines. On vacation, you were so relaxed and you finally felt as if your body was coming down from the constant stress.
So, how do you avoid returning to that place of overwhelm after your vacation? Today, I'm sharing 3 tips with you that will (hopefully) help you with maintaining that relaxed feeling.
“Oh no, back to reality.”
Upon returning from vacation, you might feel energized and ready to tackle anything your business throws at you. But as you might know, highs usually don't last very long. Your body catches up to your mind or vice versa, and the exhaustion sets in quite quickly.
Now, before the overwhelm hits, let me tell you one thing: these types of feelings don't stem from you hating your job. You're feeling tired or overwhelmed simply because the habits you created on vacation are so different from the ones at home.
They simply don't match up and that's the one principle on how to avoid overwhelm after your vacation: try to match your habits.
Let's get into the 3 steps that will help you match these vacation habits with the ones you're used to at home.
1. Budget: not just for vacation
Most of us have a budget when we go on vacation. While I am away I know I will be eating out for every meal, and I have set up a budget to do that. However, at home, the same decision may be much more stressful. Do I cook? Or should I order in? Maybe I could go out?
While you are on vacation, and you have a budget, you know exactly what you can spend. You don’t need to worry as long as you stay within your budget.
The first step to mirroring your vacation behavior, and avoiding that nasty overwhelm when you return from vacation, is setting up a budget at home too. When you set up a budget for yourself at home, you know exactly what’s coming in and going out at all times.
You don’t need to constantly stress about money because you are keeping track of it — just like on vacation — and it becomes easier to make decisions.
2. Planning and clarity
The main reason people get overwhelmed is because they don't know what their priorities are. When I get overwhelmed, it usually means I don’t know what my priorities are.
When ‘everything is a priority’, nothing is a priority anymore — you have to figure out the most important tasks to get done.
On vacation it is easy to have clarity because you have very little to worry about, maybe where you will go to lunch, but that’s about it.
At home, it’s not always that easy. You have more to worry about and you need more of a plan to maintain that clarity. Staying on top of planning and clarity will help you avoid overwhelm after you return from vacation. When you get home from a vacation, figuring out your priorities is key to maintaining clarity and avoiding feeling overwhelmed.
3. Listen to your natural rhythm, no matter where you are.
I enjoy being out in nature, thinking, discussing ideas — I don’t like admin. On vacation, I often get to do more of the things I enjoy. At home, there is often more admin.
As well as doing more of the things we like, on vacation we are often around people we love — friends, family — and this feels great. This is very different to how it can feel to be around clients, coworkers, or your work teams at home. If coming back to these people is draining your energy, maybe it’s time to ask yourself if you should be working with these people?
Often, our vacation will tell us a lot about our energy. What energizes you? What do you really enjoy doing? Who makes you happy? If we can mirror these things at home — maybe go for more walks in nature, or whatever you enjoy — this can ultimately help us feel better about what we do everyday.
Coming back from a vacation can be less overwhelming when you really feel like you are happy doing what you do everyday.
Avoid overwhelm after your vacation with the best of both worlds
Even when I was on vacation, I really missed some things about my everyday life. For example, my morning routine and my structure at home. I am a morning person, and I try to keep up that rhythm and habit of getting up early when I’m on vacation. Otherwise, my sleep will be messed up at home and I will feel tired and overwhelmed really quickly.
What you need to ask yourself is: how can I combine the best of both worlds? Is it more walks at the end of the day? Drinking less coffee? What is important to me both on vacation and at home — and am I creating habits that help me achieve those priorities?
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RECAP
To help you avoid overwhelm after vacation, I have summarized the tips and habits I discuss in this week's episode in the list below. For more advice on how to create habits that make coming home from vacation easier, listen to the rest of the episode here.
Top tips to avoid feeling overwhelmed after your vacation by mirroring your vacation habits at home:
- Create a budget
- Maintain clarity, priorities, and planning at home and when you are away
- Understand and mirror your needs
- Spend time with people you love
- Mirror your natural rhythm
- Keep the healthy vacation habits: more vitamin D, less phone time, more reading, more walks
Listen to this episode via Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and search for episode 199 of The FastForwardAmy Show.
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