How to Recover From Vacation

Vacation should be relaxing. It’s a time to get away for a little rest and an escape from the daily grind. Vacations are meant to have you returning home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. But what happens when you need recovery time from your “restful” vacation? And what happens when the time you need to recover starts to become longer and longer? What was once a day or 2 may become a week or 2.

Is the vacation still worth it? Is there a way to recover more easily? Let’s talk about it.

Ways to ease the recovery

When I think about how to ease the recovery, 1 overarching thing comes to mind. It’s a quote that has been helpful in so many areas of life: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” It reminds me that the planning isn’t just for the vacation; I need to plan for my return home as well.

Too often, our planning stops at the resort or flight. But if we don’t have a plan in place for when we walk through the front door after vacation, it’s more likely to be an uphill battle.

Here are some ideas that could be helpful for a return trip home.

Keep your schedule light

First and foremost, try to buffer your schedule your first couple days or week back. Yes, you’ve been out of town for a while, so you may have things to catch up on. However, giving yourself some quiet days at home without having to run errands or attend doctor’s appointments can be beneficial. If you have to schedule some appointments, find out whether a virtual appointment is available or appropriate.

Stock meals in the fridge

Often, the last thing you feel like doing when you return home from vacation is cooking. So, could you make a meal prior to leaving that you can stash in your freezer for when you return home? When you come home, you can defrost it and have a home-cooked meal with virtually no time in the kitchen needed.

Plan for food delivery

Beyond that meal in your freezer, you also may want to restock your fridge with the fresh foods. If a grocery run tends to exhaust you, plan for a delivery service this week. I don’t use this service often, but I have to remind myself that some weeks it’s worth it.

It’s the “little” things like going to the grocery store that can add up and drag down your energy. So, this is an easy way to lighten the load. You also could ask a family member to do the shopping if you don't want to use a service.

Make your grocery list prior to leaving

To make that first grocery trip easy, set your list up before you leave. You could even do this during your travels to your vacation destination if you have some downtime on a train or plane. This makes it a lot easier when you get back. You don’t have to think of meals or which ingredients you need when you’re tired from your travels.

What helps you?

These are strategies that help me. I’m curious to know which 1 feels most helpful to you. Also, if you have a suggestion of how to recover from vacation, please share that below. We love learning from you!