The Post-Vacation Blues (2024)

We recently got home from a family vacation and my mood dipped as soon as I unpacked. I'm still feeling a little wonky.

Tired. Uneasy. Stressed.

School has started. I'm back at work. We went from slow, unscheduled days to a long to-do list and everything on the clock, and I’ve got a touch of the post-vacation blues.

Post-Vacation Blues—It’s a Real Thing

Yep, this is a real thing and many of us get a touch of it when a long weekend or vacation ends. It’s that blah or depressed feeling you experience when the good time has ended.

I’m a strong believer in a change of scenery, a change of pace, and doing new and different things. It’s good for our minds and bodies to take a break and even get away, and it makes life a whole lot more fun.

However, the distance from our homes and routines also causes us to reevaluate our everyday lives. On vacation—whether a long trip or a long weekend—we have time and space to be reflective and more indulgent of our personal needs. That kind of awareness is healthy, but it can cause us to compare how we feel on vacation (Great!) with how we feel during our regular work/home routine (Stressed!), and that can lead to a low mood or even physical aches and pains.

The Dutch psychologist Ad Vingerhoets calls this “leisure sickness,” and the symptoms can include feelings of anxiety, sadness, and disappointment, as well as headaches, flu-like symptoms, and fatigue.

Need a Vacation From Vacation?

My daughter, husband, and I are all feeling the blahs today after a great trip. But there is something comforting in knowing that this is a common response and one that will pass.

The fatigue many of us experience post-vacation may be due to chemical changes that happen in our bodies when we leave for the trip and return. Adrenaline levels rise as we work up to the vacation and get excited while preparing to leave. It can take a few days for our bodies to let down and relax when we finally get away. Upon return, it can take a few days for these levels to increase. And we feel the lag.

Our dopamine levels change too. This neurotransmitter is called the “pleasure hormone” because it is activated when we are feeling good and builds on our feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. More dopamine is released when we are doing new things, having fun, and looking forward to activities and time off.

The novelty of vacation ignites a dopamine drip. Post-vacation, those levels drop and we feel it.

If we return to a routine that feels overloaded with stress and frustration, the post-vacation blues may even become more pronounced.

Easing Back In

Often, we can do little things to make reentry easier. Here are some ways to do it.

1. Gratitude and reflection. Look at pics, talk over highlights, and list the things you are so glad you experienced on the trip, and better feelings will begin to replace the melancholy.

2. Go easy. I am an advocate for returning a day early so I can ease into my week. I like to wake up in my own bed the day before I have to go back to work. This helps me get a good rest, ease into new routines (post-vacation I launched a mini-morning workout and reading session), and take care of the laundry and other household chores before I have to start back to work.

3. Preplan something fun. Before you leave, schedule something to look forward to the week you return. My daughter has a concert planned this week. I scheduled a dinner with friends. These don’t have to be big-ticket items but things that add a little novelty and fun to your week.

4. Be gentle with yourself. This feeling will pass, but use it to make positive changes or even as motivation to plan your next outing. If the blahs persist, though, talk with a doctor or therapist.

Making a Change

Vacation also offers time for self-reflection, and we can use it to identify the changes we want to make in our daily lives when we return. If you feel more rested on vacation, for example, maybe sleep needs to be more of a priority while at home.

Enjoy biking while away? Perhaps you can add regular weekend excursions to your home schedule. Do you enjoy urban sketching on your trips? If so, how can you add in more art practice when you return?

I realized how much I enjoy reading, so I’m making a renewed effort to start each morning with a book. It’s something I now look forward to.

Extended breaks from work can help us reset our minds and bodies, but if the blues take hold upon return, remembering the emotional and biological reasons behind the feelings can help us ease back into the routine. Then we can make simple tweaks to help us build the good feelings.