See if this sounds familiar. You land home from the best trip of your life, and within a day or two you’re staring at a pile of laundry wondering where all that joy went.
That flat feeling has a name. Some call it post-travel blues, others post-vacation blues or post-holiday depression. A Mirror survey found that 57% of Brits feel depressed after coming home from holiday, so if you’re feeling it, you’re not alone.
I’ve had post-travel blues more times than I can count, and they’re rotten. The good news is there are practical steps that help. Here’s what works for me, in no particular order.
1. Recognise that post-travel blues are normal
First and foremost, expect to feel a bit low when you get home, and know that this is normal. Yep; that might appear to be depressing in itself, but the first step to beating the post-travel blues is to own them.
It stops you spiralling into thinking you need to change your job, your partner or your home, when really you just need a few days to settle. Accept that you’ll feel out of sorts for a while and give it time to pass.
2. Sort your home before you go
Is this a weird tip for beating the post-travel blues? Sure. Does it work? Absolutely!
There are few things worse than coming home to sink full of dishes, and spiders that have made themselves comfortable in dusty corners in your absence.
A friend jokes that a pre-holiday clean just tidies up for burglars, but it makes that first evening home a lot easier. If you have a cleaner, ask them to give the place a once-over while you’re away.
3. Build in a buffer day before work
Diving straight back into work the day after a long trip is brutal
When I was working as an NHS pharmacist, I always kept at least one full day free before returning, more if I’d been somewhere long-haul. If that’s not possible, try to land home on a Friday so the weekend does the job instead.
Believe me; this buffer zone will make all the difference. It gives you time to unpack, do your laundry, buy groceries and a fighting chance of overcoming jet lag.
4. Have a ‘to-do’ list locked and loaded
Keeping busy helps stave off the blues. I don’t mean filling every hour, but having a short list of easy tasks waiting for you gives you something to focus on other than what you’ve lost.
Ticking off small jobs, even mundane ones, brings back a bit of the satisfaction you got from travelling.
5. Write down what you miss about home whilst you are away
While you’re away, jot down what you’re looking forward to at home. It’s very easy to lose sight of the things that you love about your day-to-day life, from watching When Harry Met Sally for the 17th time in your PJs to catching up with the latest gossip over coffee with a friend.
Many of us tend to view travel through rose-tinted specs. Would you really want to swap your Hypnos bed with Egyptian cotton sheets for the dorm bunk above the snorer?
6. Relish your own space
As an outgoing introvert, I value my own space, and it’s the thing that I miss most when I am away. So when I return home from travelling, I relish locking my apartment door behind me, safe in the knowledge that this is all mine and I can do what I wish.
7. Capture and revisit your travel memories
As I’ve got older, holding on to my travel memories has mattered more, and it’s part of why I started this blog.
I keep journals, and mine go back to my first solo trip to Israel in 1989. Flicking through those tatty old notebooks still makes me smile. I hang on to ticket stubs and postcards too, some of which have ended up in a scrapbook.
Photos matter just as much. I’m a keen photographer, and one of the first things I do when I get home is start sorting through the trip’s images while it’s still fresh in my mind. Leave it too long and you’ll be squinting at a photo wondering whether that’s Pienza or Pisa.
8. Relive the experience at home
Keep the trip alive with more than photos and journals.
A museum visit can scratch the itch. I went straight to the British Museum after coming home from Syria with a bad case of post-holiday gloom.
Just back from the hilltop towns of Tuscany? Cook an Italian meal at home and open a bottle of Chianti while you’re at it.
9. Meet with friends
Catching up with friends is one of the biggest things that helps me. Solo travel can be lonely at times, and missing your people is often the hardest part of being away.
One word of warning: don’t turn into a bore. Let your friends tell you their news too. It’s also a decent distraction from any low mood.
10. Connect with other travellers
If friends and family have had enough of your stories, find people who haven’t. Facebook groups full of fellow travellers are a good way to keep talking about your trip, and they’re useful for staying in touch with people you met on the road.
11. Be kind to yourself
Let’s face it; travelling often isn’t synonymous with a healthy lifestyle. All of that fast food on the go, beers by the pool, late nights and gelati galore can start to take their toll.
Once you’re home, get back to the basics. Restart your runs or get back on your usual walking routes. A few early nights and decent meals go a long way, and staying active helps with low mood.
Build in a few treats too, whether that’s a favourite meal or a haircut. A mini spa day soon after landing works even better if you book it before you leave.
12. Find things to do closer to home
Being back doesn’t mean the exploring stops. The pandemic taught a lot of us that inspiration doesn’t need a passport.
In the space of a year, I ticked the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the Settle-Carlisle Railway off my travel bucket list, had a blast with friends in Walberswick, Suffolk and spent time exploring Newcastle upon Tyne and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Every one of those stood up well against some of the more far-flung places I’ve visited
I’ve also discovered London landmarks on my own doorstep that I’d never set foot in, plus plenty of local woodland walks. Don’t settle back into the same routine without looking around first.
13. Bring the travel mindset home
Many of us are different people when we are on the road. More open to new things. Willing to try food we’d normally avoid at home.
Maintain the buzz of excitement that comes with travel by introducing this mindset into your regular life. Learn how to cook Thai food in your hometown, finesse your salsa moves or don that wetsuit.
14. Start a new hobby or goal
One of the joys of solo travel is that you grow, and you don’t need a flight to keep that going. Give yourself something new to work towards: a book club or a photography course.
The subject matters less than the habit of learning something new.
15. Check whether it’s something more
My penultimate tip is a cautionary note.
Post-travel blues are normal, but if the low mood doesn’t lift and you’re still unhappy weeks later, it might be worth looking at whether something beyond the trip is going on.
Mind has good information on depression and where to find support if that’s the case.
16. Book your next trip
Finally, there’s nothing like having another trip booked to lift your mood. Instead of dwelling on what you’re missing, put that energy into planning where you’re going next.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.