Last month I shared the summer trip planning guide that will make it a little easier to travel with kids. Travel season is in full swing. With so many places to go and people to see, a lot of us will have a fun summer taking a break from everyday life and getting away for a while.
When you return from a long trip or vacation, have you ever felt like it was kind of hard to get back into the routine of everyday life?
Perhaps this quote sounds familiar: “I need a vacation after my vacation.”
It’s funny, but it’s a real feeling. I like to call it ‘vacation overwhelm’. When we travel and get out of the habit of what we normally do, it can feel a bit overwhelming coming home and not knowing how to get back into a routine so our lives return to normal.
As you return home from vacation, here are some ways to beat ‘vacation overwhelm’ and return to your regular schedule.
1. Immediately Wash and Put Away Clothes
As soon as you return home, make it a point to empty all suitcases and bags, and wash the clothes from your vacation. That way, you’ll have a clean slate and there won’t be a lot of clutter.
Clutter adds to overwhelm, so beat it by getting everything put away as soon as possible.
2. Make a Schedule
Some households work well without writing out schedules, yet they can still stick to their routines. Some households need to see a written routine in order to successfully stick to one. If you know your family functions best if they can physically see what needs to be done, go ahead and jot down a quick, easy schedule for everyone to see.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just write down the basic things that will help everyone get back into their normal routine. Things like who helps with chores each day, bed time, and a reminder of the activities that your family has coming up.
This will be the quickest way to get everyone in the family back on schedule and flowing again.
3. Plan Extra Vacation Days
If at all possible, try to schedule your vacation from work where you’ll have a day or two to regroup and get everything returned to normal before you have to start work again.
Imagine coming back from a long trip on Sunday evening and then trying to get everything for your family washed and put away, and trying to get everyone to bed at normal time and back on a routine, knowing that Monday morning you’ll have to be up and out the house for work bright and early. That scenario will actually add to your stress.
You want to have enough time to get everything done that needs to be done without feeling rushed.
How do you wind down and get your family back on a regular routine after vacation?
This post contributed by Jennifer from Organized Home Organized School
I totally needed this today- we just came back from a short trip to Toronto and I am seriously struggling. I just want to find a lounge chair and take a nap. Definitely putting some of these into motion ASAP!