I'm just unpacking and unwinding from three weeks away from home, a wonderful mix of vacation and business in Baja, Mexico. Vacations are energizing and mood-enhancing although research suggests these positive effects aren't long-lasting. One adverse consequence of going on a vacation: Having to leave Paradise to come home. In fact, a small proportion of travelers return home with an acute case of post-vacation depression.
The letdown is understandable. Whether your vacation includes a challenging hike or ski adventure, a visit to a cultural mecca, a relaxing river cruise, or a balmy beach getaway, when travelers go away, they're generally doing what they want to do—-rather than what they have to do.
Re-entry usually entails getting back to the everyday hassles of doing laundry and catching up with bills and/or getting back to the grind of work. This can be a jolt to the mind and body, especially when it's exacerbated by jetlag and fatigue.
Some of the signs of post-vacation depression include: feelings of lethargy; lack of motivation; trouble focusing on tasks; sleep difficulties; and ruminating about your recent trip. Ironically, the more you enjoyed your vacation and the longer you were away, the more likely you'll be to feel the blues upon your return.
One study reported last year in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that while vacations help burnout and improve well-being for the short-term, a "fade-out effect" usually sets in within a month. Another study in Work and Stress suggests that the fade-out can take place even more rapidly, within a week after resumption of work.
Here are 5 tips to lengthen the afterglow of a great vacation and to ward-off post-vacation blues:
1) Ease back in
Don't take a red-eye that gets you back home the same morning you need to be at your desk or fly home in the midst of a holiday weekend—if you can avoid it. Build some slack time into your travel schedule so you can make an easier post-vacation transition. Don't set your expectations too high for getting everything done immediately upon your return.
2) Take a few moments to revel in what you've come home to
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like your home. Don't minimize the joys of sleeping in your own bed and being able to sip your morning Joe, in your favorite mug, exactly as you like it. Perhaps, you'll feel happy about returning to your favorite pet or a comfy easy chair. You may take great pleasure in finally ditching your suitcase and being able to reconnect with friends, neighbors and co-workers.
3) Give in to reminiscences
Organize your digital photographs and even print a few of them. Keep a diary or write about your travels. Call or email someone you've met along the way. Since it isn't likely that your friends or colleagues will be as eager to hear about your adventures as you'll be to speak about them, hang out on online travel forums with like-minded people who want to share their own experiences being where you were (or who are hoping to get there.)
4) Bring a piece of your vacation home
Did you particularly enjoy a certain cuisine or special dish while you were away? Perhaps, you can find a restaurant in your neighborhood that serves it, or you can find the ingredients to cook it at home. You can also rent a movie or buy a book that is set in the place where you traveled to re-live vivid memories, or make "side-trips" reading about the placed you missed. Perhaps, you saw something new or learned something that can inspire changes in your life.
5) Plan your next trip
Research suggests, too, that the positive effects of vacations, in terms of health and well-being, can be easily replenished with frequent boosters. If you're able to take frequent short vacations through the year (even as brief as a day at a park or a museum, or a weekend visit to another city), give yourself something to look forward to. And start saving your time and money for the next big one.