Just back from holiday? How to keep the holiday vibe alive

If you’re about to head off on holiday this summer, you will probably be in the middle of all the preparation that needs to be done. Even if you intend to keep things simple, and keep luggage to the bare minimum, it always seems to get out of control at the last minute, and you end up rushing around getting lots of stuff you probably don’t really need. 

Of course, once you get on holiday none of this matters. You can just relax for a week or two and forget about it all. 

But what happens when you get back from holiday? There will still be plenty to do : holiday unpacking and laundry for starters. But this time all the activity and chores will be without the excitement of a forthcoming holiday. Add to this that it can feel very flat coming back from holiday, even if the sun is still shining.

To help adjust quickly to being back from holiday, it can be helpful to do a bit of advance planning so that you have a few things to look forward to and can keep the positive holiday vibe alive. It’s a really good idea to do this before you go, so that you can get up and running as soon as you are back. But if you’ve not been able to do this, and are just back from holiday, it’s not too late to start now.

Here are six ways to keep the holiday vibe alive.

Plan your next trip

One of the best ways to stop pining for the holiday you have just come back from is to start planning another one. It doesn’t even have to be anything like the one you have just had. Even a weekend trip to visit friends or family can be a welcome and enjoyable break. The important thing is to get one or more trips into the calendar as soon as possible so that you all have something to look forward to.

If you do want to look further ahead and start planning your next summer holiday, take a look at the helpful tips in our article Will you be going on a summer holiday this year? And remember, if you need a cash boost – for example for a holiday deposit – one of Loans 2 Go’s personal loans may be able to help.

Keep the holiday food going

One of the most refreshing things about a holiday can be food-related. Perhaps it’s because the family eats together at regular times, or that you all try various new foods and different recipes. But many people find that they feel really good about the eating patterns and styles of food on holiday. 

So when you come back from holiday, why not make a fresh start with family food? If you have got out of the habit of eating together, or eating at regular times, perhaps now is the time to try and reintroduce that. And if there were particular dishes that everyone really enjoyed on holiday, try introducing them into your regular meals. 

It will never feel quite the same as when you are on holiday, but if you can introduce some small changes into your family’s eating routine, it could make a big difference.

Have a family night once a week

Even if it’s not possible to eat together regularly as a family every single day, it’s a great idea to organise a family night once a week. If you enjoyed spending time together during the evenings on holiday, then why not try to recreate that now you’re back at home.

A family night doesn’t have to be anything expensive or complicated. Now and again you could choose to go out for a meal or to a movie, but the cost of this can really add up. So another option is to do something at home together, for example:

• BBQ
• Pizza-making night
• Movie night
• Video or board games
• Outdoor walk or exercise session

The main thing is to spend time together doing something fun, and recreating the holiday vibe all over again.

Do something adventurous

It’s often the case that we feel more adventurous on holiday than we do at home. We are more likely to be active on holiday, to want to explore, and to be brave about trying new things. So why not set yourself a goal of being more like that at home? 

Being adventurous can add a whole new dimension to day to day life, and make you feel energised. Here are a few ideas to try:

• Plan a visit to a local place or event you’ve always wanted to go to but never have;
• Start to learn how to do something you never thought you could do;
• Join a physical challenge such as a sponsored walk or run;
• Take up a team sport;
• Go to a karaoke night.

Setting yourself regular challenges not only adds interest to your life but helps you to learn new skills and become more confident as a person.

Build in some “me-time” every day

Often when we’re on holiday, there is the opportunity for some much-needed “me-time”, whatever that means to you. It may be just a chance to rest and doze, read a good book by the pool, go for a little walk in the sun, or maybe enjoy a spa treatment. 

But when you’re back from holiday, take time to identify the things that you enjoyed doing for yourself, then try to make them happen at home too. Of course, there won’t be as much opportunity in your busy daily life as you had when on holiday. But do your best to carve out a bit of me-time – even just an hour a couple of times a week – when you can do whatever makes you happy. It will make a huge difference to your sense of wellbeing, and enable you to function better on a day to day basis.

Launch a home decluttering project

This doesn’t really sound much fun! But making the effort to declutter your home can bring huge benefits to your life. When you get back from holiday, one of the things that strikes you is just how much stuff there is in your home. This is a stark contrast to being on holiday, when you only have the relatively few items you brought with you.

Think about it. How much easier is it to function on holiday when you only have those few things? For starters, you can instantly see and find everything that you have. Which then makes getting ready and organised so much quicker and easier. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to do that in your everyday life as well?

So a very positive way to keep the holiday vibe alive is to do a major declutter of your home and embrace a much more minimalist lifestyle. This won’t happen overnight, and if you try to do too much at once you are likely to get overwhelmed. But if you start now, and gradually declutter your home over the next few months, by the time you go on your next summer holiday things could be very different.

We hope that the above ideas help you to keep the holiday vibe going now that you are back, and to make some positive changes in the lives of you and your family. And if at any stage you need financial help to make some of those changes, remember that Loans 2 Go offer a range of personal loans which may be able to help.

For more useful lifestyle and financial tips, visit us here again soon at Loans 2 Go.