Avoiding Extended Vacation Brain!

Wow! What a vacation! You zip lined over a forest canopy, swam with some porpoises, ate anything that looked good, and slept until breakfast was no longer served. Yeah, great memories, but now it’s back to the rude reality of the alarm clock. Sigh.

It’s not always easy getting your groove back. No matter how much you love your job, it can be difficult to get back to a daily routine.  Here are a few tips you may consider to help ease the transition.

Pre-emptive Strike We know it’s difficult to concentrate on the task(s) at hand with a vacation in your crosshairs, but things could go more smoothly for you upon your return if you clear any urgent tasks before you clock out (both physically and mentally). Look ahead for deadlines. If you take care of that report before you leave, your return may contain less stress with a short deadline omitted.

Transition Requisition
There’s no rule saying you have to get back to work the day after you arrive home. Book a “transition” day. Take off the day after you return to give yourself time to ease back into your routine. Or maybe you can work a half day the first day back. When you do return, don’t schedule any meetings. Give yourself time to play catch-up. You know your inbox is going to need attention.

Check It Twice
You may feel overwhelmed with tasks upon return. One way to help settle that feeling is to make a to-do list. This can serve two purposes. First, it allows you to take a look at all the things that need to be done and prioritize them. Second, it can help eliminate that nagging feeling that you’re forgetting something. A list also gives you a nice sense of accomplishment as you vigorously scratch off finished tasks.

Habit Forming
A few days at the beach is a real license for your mind to wonder. After all, what big thinking needs to be done with your toes in the sand? Upon your return, though, work hard to get back into good habits. It might even be a good time to cultivate a fresh set of productive habits.

Co-Existing
Be sure to check in with your co-workers and/or boss to see if anything important developed while you were away. The sooner you find out, the fewer surprises down the road.

Next!
Maybe you’re depressed that your highly anticipated vacation is over? Perhaps motivation is low with the light at the end of the tunnel snuffed out? Not necessarily! Start planning your next getaway and reignite that light once again! Even if it’s just a long weekend, the idea is to give yourself something to look forward to. Get planning!

Working It
Endorphins. They’re neurotransmitters produced in the brain that make you happy. You can get yours free of charge when you exercise. Exercise has been proven to release endorphins, which then enhance our moods. And going back to work likely means you need some attitude enhancement, right? So get out there and exercise. It’s good for you in more ways than one!

Eat Healthy
Hey, it’s vacation…live it up. It’s time to cut loose, so we often don’t make the healthiest choices when eating. Nothing wrong with that. Just try to get on track with a healthier diet when you get back home. Not only will it help you physically, you’ll feel better about yourself and increase both confidence and motivation.

Picture This
We’re sure you took plenty of swell pictures on that vacation of yours, right? Well, dial up those digital memories from time to time. Reminisce. Go back in time to the exhilaration of walking on the brim of that volcano. Smell that surf. Listen to the locals speak a foreign language. Harken back to those carefree days, it’ll do you good!


When planning your next vacation, don’t forget Vantage offers services that can come in handy, such as our Vantage Visa Platinum Rewards credit card. When you use it to book reservations, purchase souvenirs, dine, etc., you’ll earn rewards points that you can use…maybe on your next vacation! If you’re reluctant to put all those travel miles on your vehicle, Vantage members receive discounts on vehicle rentals with Enterprise. Traveling abroad? Vantage can exchange your money for foreign currency from over 100 countries! So when you’re ready to leave routine behind once again, check with Vantage to see how we can help!