Five ways to beat the post-holiday blues

If you managed to get away on holiday this summer, and are gradually getting back to reality, you may find yourself suffering from post-holiday blues. 

You keep thinking back to the good times you had on holiday, and particularly the sense of freedom from having to think about the daily chores, tasks and routines of life at home. So it’s not surprising that now you are back, everything feels a bit flat. 

But if this leaves you feeling restless and lacking in motivation, rather than giving in to those post-holiday blues now could be a good time to re-energise your life by continuing some of the good habits you started when on holiday.

In this article we suggest five things to do to beat the post-holiday blues.

Make time to look after yourself

One of the reasons that we feel so good on holiday is that we are making time to look after ourselves. And that means different things to different people. For some, it is simply having the chance to catch up on sleep : whether that means getting to bed earlier or sleeping later in the morning. For others, it is getting more regular exercise, perhaps with a few spa treatments thrown in. And for still others, it may just be a case of enjoying lying in the sun with a nice cool drink and a good book.

Whatever makes you feel good, try to keep some of that going now that you are home. Of course you won’t have as much time in the real world as you would on holiday. But even just ring fencing an hour once or twice a week, to do whatever you need to do to pamper yourself a little bit, will make a positive difference.

Introduce some holiday inspiration into your diet

Our diet often changes on holiday, especially if you are in a hotel with a large buffet and can try out lots of different types of food. In fact it is easy to come back from a holiday full of enthusiasm for keeping the holiday diet going, and fill your supermarket trolley with all kinds of food and drink that in the end you don’t use.

So it’s important to be wise rather than wasteful. But why not look into recipes for some of the food you enjoyed on holiday and perhaps try one every week. Not only will this bring back the holiday memories, it could also add a few more favourite dishes to your family repertoire.

Another good way to keep the holiday inspiration in your regular diet is to think of one healthy thing that you ate or drank more on holiday than you usually do at home. For example fresh juice, fruit, yoghurt, or even a more regular intake of water. Even just establishing one of these things as a daily habit will help your diet become a more healthy one.

Start being more active

Another reason that we feel good on holiday is that we tend to be more active than in our daily lives at home. Whether we’re out exploring, shopping, walking on a beach, swimming or taking part in games and activities, there is always something going on.

But it is all too easy to slip into a sedentary life once we get home. For example, you may be seated at a desk for much of the working day, and are indoors more than out. Then in the evenings, particularly if you feel tired, the thought of being a couch potato, sitting down watching TV and/or scrolling through devices, is very appealing.

However, you will really feel the benefit if you also build some active time into a typical evening. If the weather is ok, even just a short walk or run in the fresh air will reap benefits. Or you could head out for a quick swim, an exercise class, or get involved in a local sports club. Even if you want to stay at home, there are many different types of online workouts – literally something for everyone.

So even though the couch beckons, at least try to fit in a short burst of activity before you end up there. You will feel much better for it.

Take up a new hobby or interest

Another stimulating effect of being on holiday is the sense of newness it brings. You are in a different place, with different people, and there is a lot to learn about the environment and culture you are in. Even if you don’t particularly set out to learn, there is a lot that you will absorb simply by the fact that you are there. And this is one of the reasons you feel refreshed when you return.

So when you return from holiday, it is an ideal time to take up a new hobby or interest, to keep that spark of newness alive. You may want to do something related to the holiday, for example learning the language, taking cookery lessons for the country you have been to, or continuing an activity that you started doing on holiday. Or it may be something different altogether. 

The main thing is that you continue to stimulate your mind and your senses by getting involved in a hobby or interest that you will enjoy and will give you something to look forward to on a regular basis.

Embrace a more minimalist lifestyle

Another reason for post-holiday blues is coming back to a load of “stuff”. One of the joys of being on holiday is that you are plunged into a very minimalist existence. Whatever kind of holiday accommodation you have, it’s likely to be very sparse, and just have the basics that you need. 

And this applies to your own belongings too. You only have the relatively few items you brought with you. Which means that daily decisions about what to wear are much simpler than usual. You can only choose from the items that were in your suitcase, and if there is anything else you wish you’d brought, you just have to manage without it.

This simplicity brings with it a kind of joy, and also saves a lot of time. The less stuff and clutter you have in your home, the less time you need to spend looking after it, working out where on earth to put it, and cleaning around it. 

So a simple but very impactful change you could make after a holiday is to start a major home declutter and work towards a more minimalist lifestyle to free up time and energy to enjoy yourself.

We hope that the above ideas are of some help in beating the post-holiday blues. And of course another way to help beat the post-holiday blues is to book another holiday for next year, so that you have something to look forward to. 

If you book something now, you will usually only have a deposit to pay, and some holiday companies enable you to do that in instalments. But if you need a personal loan to cover the cost, remember that Loans 2 Go offers online loans that may be able to help. 

Do visit us here again soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.