8 Ways to Beat the
Post-Vacation Blues

The glow of your last vacation can fade as fast as a French tan in winter. Feeling stressed, bored, or even trapped by the doldrums of daily life is easily understandable when you’re fresh off waking up to new adventures every day. Post-vacation depression is real, especially if you’re traveling for more than a week or two. While you might not be able to avoid the post-vacation blues altogether, you might find you can overcome vacation depression with some of our pro tips.

Tips to Beat Post-Vacation Depression While Traveling

Take a Chance on New Experiences

At the end of the day, traveling is an experience within itself. Bragging rights are real, and this simple rule gives you all the permission you need to tell your neighbor down the street about exploring the Pyramids of Giza or the funny story that happened at the Forum in Rome. Take a chance and experience something new; you’ll remember your adventure stories long after your trip is over.

Buy Culturally-Relevant Souvenirs

We’re all for supporting local cultures and artisans. You can help make your purchases count if you stick to local and authentic treasures to bring home. Because you know the story behind a piece, you’re more likely to have a connection to it. Plus, when someone asks about a certain tapestry, vase, or ornament, you can share the tale of its origin and making and your connection to the workshop and artists.

Creativity does wonders for the mind, so take as many photos as you like and scribble a few notes or stories from your day before you retire each night. This way, you don’t have to recall the whole trip at once but can refer to the fun memories you felt were important to capture and jot down. Collect a few tickets stubs or a lunch receipt from a great restaurant. Press some flowers or leaves. Write inside antidotes only you and your fellow travelers are privies to. No matter how you keep notes or what pictures you take, it’s wonderful to open a book and have those tactile memories. The best part is that you can write recaps or special notes next to each photo so loved ones who read it can feel like they were there, too.

Keep a Travel Journal

If you like, we suggest keeping a journal with you during your trip as well. It’s easy to forget the events of a past day as the trip goes on, but keeping a diary of your days will allow you to process feelings in the moment as well as provide you with a way to reflect once you return home.

Take All the Travel Photos You Want

We all want to take as many pictures as possible when on vacation. Taking photos is one of the best ways to remember your vacations because you can flex your creative muscles by capturing your own view of the icons. Once home, you can have your photos processed and create a scrapbook. Or, you can upload them to a photo book site and have a book made for you! 

Travel Photography Pro Tips

Post Your Travel Photos on Instagram

With social media nowadays, everyone expects to see your vacation photos posted on your feeds. When you post on Instagram, you can tag your location, friends, travel companions, and more. It's a great way to keep in touch with anyone you meet along the way. If it’s been a while since you’ve picked up a camera, don’t know how to use Instagram, or have no idea how to use your phone’s camera, don’t fret. You'll brush up fast with a little refresher and some expert advice.

Tips to Beat Post-Vacation Depression When You Return Home

Plan Ahead for Your Return Home

In the days leading up to your trip, it’s a good idea to set up your personal space for your return. Clean your home, do laundry, and take care of any food that might spoil in the fridge. This way, all you’ll worry about when you return is unpacking, which is a task in and of itself. It’s also smart to organize a to-do list for when you get back, so you don’t feel overwhelmed when the tasks of daily life add up.

Recreate a Favorite Dish From Your Travels

While you can’t bring the well-known chef you met home with you from Lima, you can get creative. You were probably introduced to new ingredients and styles of cooking while you were traveling. Maybe you had a class with a chef in Italy or amazing Paella in Spain. One of our favorite things to do is to find traditional recipes from the areas we traveled to and attempt to make them ourselves. Recreating dishes, you savored on your journey invites that culture into your own home. Plus, you can charm friends and loved ones with a meal; introducing them to new flavors and ingredients along with stories from your travels. Once you have a dish down, you can add your own spin to it and make it a family favorite!

Stay Active

A vacation can do wonders for your mental and physical health. Not only does it help lower the risk of metabolic syndromes, but it also can help improve your concentration, help you sleep deeper, and allow you to be more in tune with your thoughts and emotions. Researchers at Syracuse University found a direct link between vacation and lowering the risk for metabolic syndromes. That includes high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and obesity. The chances are that while you were on your trip, you were more active than you realized. Keep your sneakers laced up and keep your activity level up when you return home.

Health Benefits of Travel

Get Back into Your Routine

A great way to tackle post-vacation melancholy is by getting back into your routine at home as quickly as you can. Reunite with hobbies, pick up where you left off on tasks, and start to settle back in. It’s always helpful to schedule lunches with friends and share memories from your trip.

The Best Way to Beat Post-Vacation Blues?

Plan Your Next Vacation!

There’s no perfect remedy for curing the post-vacation blues. However, anticipating your next adventure is a solid, tried-and-true, remedy for overcoming your post-vacation blues. Having something to look forward to when you make a plan creates happiness and excitement. When you take a vacation, pressure and stress are alleviated and your mental health is boosted. According to Michelle Gielan, Founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research, "Booking a trip—even just getting it on the calendar—might be the very thing we need to restore our emotional immune system."

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