My colleagues often seem bewildered by the fact that I take some pretty amazing holidays, perhaps a little too regularly. With some clever grouping of public holidays, a minimal Christmas break, and scrupulous saving of my annual leave, I do manage to get a few quality trips in throughout the year. Haters gunna hate. Maybe stop taking so many cheeky long weekends – would it kill you to come to work on Melbourne Cup Monday?
While we may not all agree on my methods, one thing remains clear… It can be pretty hard to get your mojo back when you do inevitably return to work. Why not give some of these ideas a try ahead of your next departure?
Give yourself a day of rest upon return
When I still had those famed mid-twenties energy levels, I would be so keen to maximise my leave that I’d fly 8 hours home overnight on Sunday and head straight to work from the airport. Even if you manage to get some sleep on the flight, it’s fair to say you’ll struggle to be up and running as normal. These days, I much prefer to calm it down a bit and give myself an extra day at home to unwind and binge Netflix in the background while I am planning my next trip. This way, you’ll get the better of any jetlag, and you’ll be better accustomed to any brutal weather changes (oh, hey Melbourne).
Return to work later in the week
Why not head back to work on Wednesday or Thursday? You’ve had a fantastic 10 days off – do you really want to hit a full work week immediately? Bonus tip: Don’t make any heavy plans the first weekend back either. After all, you’re going to need a holiday from your holiday!
Eat festive!
If you’re like me, cuisine will likely influence your choice of destination. But amazing food doesn’t have to end just because you are back from holidays. Why not skip leftovers and meal prep for a few days and treat yourself to a few lunchtime takeaways. It will give you one less thing to worry about while getting back into the swing of things.
Tidy up before you go, go
Sure, in the frantic lead up to your departure you’ve left dirty dishes and an unmade bed. You hardly had enough time to pack, let alone do washing, OK! But we all know that the feeling of returning to a clean home is a very serene and comforting one. And you’re going to have enough dirty laundry to take care of as it is.
Obviously, it’s only because I take so much leave that I’ve been able to compile a great list of tips for your next return. Give them a go next time you head off! Got any of your own to share? Drop us a line.
Ben Giltrap
Travel Bug
