5 Tips to Help Avoid Post Vacation Stress

There is a lot of planning that goes into a vacation and for the most part it is pretty fun.   We plan when and where to go and then we plan what to wear and what to see and do. There is one part though that most of us tend to forget about and that is the post vacation plans.   Nobody really wants to think about vacation ending before it even begins but a few simple things can help the ease the pain of getting back to reality. Here are a few tips to help deal with the post vacation stress: 

#1 - Plan a little buffer time.   Sure planning to be on vacation up until the very last possible minute to squeeze as much vacation fun into your time off seems like a good idea but then when that next morning arrives and you are back at work you realize that was the worst idea.   I suggest give yourself at least one day after you get home from vacation before going back to work/school. This gives you time to deal with any jet lag/hangover and just get back into the mindset of not being on vacation.

#2 - Food when you get home.   I cannot tell you how many times I have come home after vacation and am reminded that oh right there isn’t anything to eat here.   You might just plan to eat out that first day home however if you are like me after being on vacation you really just don’t want to eat anymore restaurant food.   After just getting home I really just don’t have the energy for food shopping either though so I try to make a food plan for that first meal after vacation before I leave home this way there is at least something to eat after getting back from the airport.

#3 - Do a little prep work for work.   If possible try to clear out as much work as you can and maybe even work on some things in advance so that you won’t feel as overwhelmed with catch up when you return.   If possible it might also be good to give yourself an extra day when you get back to catch up so if you have an out of office message and even though you are back in the office on Monday maybe have your message say you are out of the office until Tuesday.  

#4 - A little cleaning goes a long way.   I hate coming back from vacation and realizing that my house is a mess or worse my desk looks like a tornado came through.  I always swear that I didn’t leave it that way. It can get a little hectic right before vacation so it is very easy to end up leaving a bit of a mess behind but it really helps if you can avoid that. Try to clear your desk at least a day prior to vacation so when you return you don’t spend hours trying to through it all again.   Even you are used to working in a slightly unorganized chaos it is a lot harder to find where things are after being away for awhile. Same goes for home since you just spent time away where you probably had housekeeping daily and someone serving you food it can really help adjust to reality again if you come home to a place that is clean.
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#5 - Start planning your next vacation!   I can’t think of any better way to get over the post vacation blues than to start the planning process all over again so you always have something fun to look forward to!