Practical Ways to Adjust to Life After Travelling
Life after travelling can be a tricky one. What happens once you come home? Do you feel enlightened, inspired and motivated? Or the complete opposite? The outcome always varies–one trip could see you fired up and ready to take on the world and another has you sinking in a post-travel slump. In this post we will focus on the latter, the post travel slump– the reality that a lot of people tend to face upon returning home.
You hit pause on your reality once you set off to travel, and now you have time travelled back to your old ways of living, feeling a sense of dread, overwhelmed, a little out of touch, and unfulfilled. The thought of easing back into your once regular routine can send a sense of unease rocking through your nerves. How do you cope with that? How do you readjust to set this feeling on its way out?
Just know that it is completely normal to feel this way, even if you’ve spent time away from home being positively stimulated by new environments, cultures, ways of living, sights and new experiences–it’s human nature! Remember, travel can be taxing as much as it is transformative so never play down the various emotions you experience upon returning.
There are many steps you can take to feeling a little more grounded again upon your return. From getting back to basics, to using your travel experiences in a way that inspires and motivates your daily routine, here are a few tips on how to adjust and adapt to life after travelling.
MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS BEFORE YOU RETURN
Most travellers fear the end of their trips as things may not be as they expected upon returning home. Be sure to remind yourself that things are different (depending on how long you’ve been away). This plays into such things as your job and your relationships with family and friends, so be prepared to face new rules, new people and positions at work, and to make an effort to maintain your relationship with loved ones.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
The excitement of travelling can mean sometimes you neglect the essential routines that keep your health and wellness in check. Exhaustion and sickness are definitely one of a few negative aspects from travelling. You’re more susceptible to terrible sleeping patterns due to jet lag, and a weakened immune system that can lead to sickness. It’s important to take care of yourself in order to eliminate feeling burnt out when you’re back home. Better yet, try to implement the following things whilst you travel.
Prioritise sleep. as much as you possibly can.
Drink water. Very self explanatory–a basic necessity for your body to function properly.
Eat well. The most important thing is to try and get a decent amount of nutrients into your system through whatever you choose to eat. Don’t forget your vitamin supplements!
Exercise. Whether it be a yoga session, pumping weights, or a 30 minute walk through the local park, get into a routine that keeps you active!
Treat yourself to a spa session or massage (for now this isn’t quite pandemic friendly, but something to have in mind post-pandemic).
GIVE YOURSELF SOME TIME TO EASE BACK INTO A ROUTINE
Getting back into a routine can be difficult no matter how long your time away from home has
One of the first things you should have in mind if you have a job to come back to is to schedule a return flight that corresponds to your usual routine. Meaning, don’t schedule a flight that has you arriving home past midnight when you know you have to wake up in a few hours to get ready for work. Be wary of different time zones to make sure you arrive home at a time that suits your regular routine.
If possible, ending your trip on Friday is a good shout. You then have the weekend to relax a little before the new week starts. Soak yourself in a hot bath, read a book, cook a meal, get some much needed sleep–do things that can help you wind down and relax in order to eas the stresses of getting back to business..
Unpack your bags as soon as you can, and get started on laundry so you don’t have to worry about it later.
For travels that have lasted for long periods of time, you’ve probably adapted to a new routine that you much prefer. Once you return, gradually create a new normal. From cooking foods you loved to eat whilst travelling, to living a much more simple life with less focus on consuming and more focus on sustainability, bringing home what you adapted during your travels can do you a world of good.
RECONNECT WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS
It’s likely that in the time that you’ve been away, you’ve neglected or felt disconnected from the people who you value and love the most. Nothing to feel bad about, it happens. You may feel a little forgotten because life as you know goes on no matter what. Reach out to loved ones once you begin to settle down, see how they’re doing, offer support if you’re more than able to; your efforts to reconnect or even rebuild relationships won’t go unnoticed and will be deeply appreciated. One of my favourite things to do personally is to schedule a coffee or brunch, which is always a great opportunity to catch up with family and friends. It allows me to ease any kind of awkwardness that could have developed between us, know what's been going on with them, how they’ve been feeling, and share my experiences (where appropriate of course).
CONTINUE BEING CURIOUS
Curiosity is what sparked your journey in the first place, and what led you to experience and try new things, explore unfamiliar places, and meet new people. Use your curiosity to continue exploring your life at home. Don’t always feel that you can only enjoy and experience amazing things in life whilst you’re away from your usual setting–there are plenty of things to be experienced and discovered at home too.
STAY MINDFUL
Practicing mindfulness is definitely easier said than done, but once you get the hang of it, it’s something you can apply to your daily without hesitation.
REFLECT ON YOUR JOURNEY
Travel will always bring on the opportunity to reflect. Practice intentionally reflecting on your journey. It can be the form of a journal–highlighting the highs, the lows, challenges you may have faced, lessons you have learned, new interests, and more. You can even start a journal during your travels so that you have feelings, experiences and memories to reflect on when you’re back home. Don't let the end of this trip be the end of your journey. Travel of any kind is an investment in yourself, and self-reflection is like collecting the dividends!
START RESEARCHING OR PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP
The act of seeking inspiration, setting intentions and planning for a new adventure in the future can be very therapeutic. It can also help to keep you focused and motivated, resulting in a boost of productivity as you anticipate future travels (which can be one of the happiest parts of a journey).
PRACTICE GRATITUDE
There’s no denying that travelling in itself is most definitely a privilege, a privilege that one should be grateful to be able to do. From the free time, to the money, and resources you hold to be able to travel, take some time to be thankful and also appreciate the fact that you are able to form and experience meaningful moments.