The Best Ways to Deal with the Travel Blues
Recently returned from a trip and finding yourself in a funk? You might have the travel blues. What exactly are the “travel blues” and what can you do about them? Read on for tried-and-true tips for the best ways to deal with the travel blues.
POST TRAVEL DEPRESSION
Welcome home from your trip!
You no sooner kick off your shoes and sigh into your favorite comfy sofa than wham! it hits you–
post-travel depression.
Uhhhhh….WHAT?!?!
Can you get depression from traveling?
Well, yes. In more than one way.
You can get depression from lack of community, a sense of being without moorings, exposure to depressing environments and situations, etc.
However, today’s discussion isn’t about any of those things.
Today, we are talking about how the average trip can sometimes bring a wake of the blues.
First, let’s start with a working definition.
TRAVEL BLUES MEANING
Post Travel Depression Meaning and Definition
“Post” means “after a particular event”–in this case, “post travel.” After a trip, someone might have a sensation of sadness that lasts for days or weeks or even months. This sadness is sometimes termed “depression.” Though this sadness might not fit the definition of clinical depression, it does exist as a significant damper on a person’s emotions and overall motivation.
CAN YOU GET DEPRESSION AFTER A VACATION?
Yes, you can. You don’t even need to travel, necessarily, to feel a bit of the blues when you return to your normal routine. Even if you have a “stay-cation,” you might feel somewhat reluctant to give up your enjoyable free time and turn back to life’s regular rhythms.
Typically, however, post travel depression is related to an actual exiting of one location for a brief (or prolonged) stay in another place. When the traveler returns home, he or she finds that a sense of depression settles down on life.
How can you know what “post travel depression” is like? Let’s take a look at the signs.
POST TRAVEL DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of post travel blues are real and may include:
- lack of motivation
- tiredness
- nostalgia
- depression (go figure!)
- loss of appetite
- not wanting to get up out of bed (more than normal 😉 )
…among other things.
These symptoms could also be related to a host of other life events, but they do generally pop up after a long vacation or extended leave from your normal routine of life.
HOW LONG DOES POST TRAVEL DEPRESSION LAST?
In general, travel blues are short-lived. They might feel very strong in the first few days (or even weeks) after a trip. However, they gradually wear off within (at the latest) a few weeks.
If someone has symptoms of depression that last longer than a few weeks, they might have a different underlying condition.
TRAVEL BLUES TIPS
If you just returned from a vacation and realize that the blues are hitting you hard, then follow these simple tips to help you cope:
Stop what you’re doing and sit down. Breathe. Relax. Drink water.
Then follow up these tips with a long-term plan for how to get over the travel blues….
HOW TO GET OVER TRAVEL BLUES + HOW TO OVERCOME POST TRAVEL DEPRESSION
1. Give yourself time.
You don’t need to jump back into everything right away. Plan a few days after your trip for extra vacation at home.
2. Unpack.
Simply airing out our bags can help us to 1) relive our fond memories, 2) feel more at home, and 3) mentally adjust and unwind.
3. Do laundry.
There’s nothing like having a closet fresh, clean clothes after smelly underwear has been staring you in the face every time you’ve opened your suitcase. Clean and organized clothes can also signal a fresh start for your mind.
4. Take care of your body.
Traveling is often very wearying for the body. While vacation is meant to rejuvenate us, it sometimes has the opposite effect.
If you feel blue after a trip, then your body likely needs some pampering. Give yourself a spa day, extra sleep, healthy food, exercise, and plenty of sunlight.
5. Try storytelling.
Tell the story of your travel experiences with a gathering of friends and family.
6. Make a memento.
Document your travels in a photo album or memory book of your experiences.
7. Mark something on your calendar in the near future.
This could be another trip, but it doesn’t necessarily have to even be you leaving your city.
Plan a get-together with friends. Set a date to attend a theatrical performance. Go to a park you have not yet explored…
8. Change something in your routine.
If you found something relaxing or refreshing during your vacation, try to implement that activity into your everyday routine. In this way, you can carry a bit of your trip forward into your life.
9. Keep trying new and interesting things.
Try a new hobby or start a class. No hobby classes in your area? Try an online class on a website like Craftsy.com.
Trying something new can help us rediscover our motivation when we’ve been feeling meh.
10. Listen to music.
The right music can uplift your spirit and help you relax.
11. Read poetry.
If you are a poetic type of person, then you already understand how poetry can move us and help us to process and express our emotions. If you haven’t yet tasted of poems, then find a wonderful collection (like this anthology of Bright Poems for Dark Days) and/or listen to poetry read aloud (like in this YouTube video).
12. Write down the things you missed about home while you were traveling.
Expressing gratitude and listing the things for which we are thankful–these are practices that help lift our spirits
13. Start a gratitude journal.
In addition to trip-specific gratitude and things about your home for which you are grateful, record all the little (and big) daily blessings.
14. Exercise.
Usually on vacation, you either exercise more than normal or let your body strengthening routines slide. Either way, getting your endorphins flowing through exercise can help you feel better about life in general.
15. Go outside in nature.
Getting fresh air and hearing the birds sings can sometimes do more for our spirits than hours of sitting indoors and trying to sort through our own thoughts.
16. Pray.
Prayer is a powerful tool for lifting our spirits and helping us gain perspective.
This is not to say “pray the blues away” (as in “Lord, please take away my travel depression”). But, rather, I’m saying that praying can help us to take our eyes off of our own little world and remember something beyond ourselves.
17. Prepare for post-trip before your travels.
Having a put-together home to return to after a trip can make all the difference. If you are dreading a return because you know a lot of work is awaiting you, then you will much more likely have a more difficult time beating (or avoiding) post-travel depression.
What can you do to help yourself look forward to the return home after your trip? Clean your home. Prepare some food to keep in your freezer or have a grocery list handy so that you won’t have to face the hangry-ness of being without food for long.
18. Make a to-do list.
Keeping yourself busy can be one way to help you feel ready to return home. If you know you are being productive, then the enjoyment of accomplishment can help you combat the post-travel blues.
19. Remember that the travel blues can be a normal experience for many people.
You are not alone in your depression. If you connect with other travelers, then you will likely see this within a matter of hours of conversation.
However, also balance this feeling of normalcy with an awareness of your own mental health. If your travel depression lingers, consider talking to a doctor about the possibility of depression unrelated to travel.
TRAVEL BLUES QUOTES: QUOTES ABOUT TRAVEL TO HELP YOU GET OVER THE TRAVEL BLUES
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” — Mary Ann Radmacher
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore” – Andre Gide
“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone” – Katie Thurmes
“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them” – Jo Walton
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” – Ibn Battuta
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow” – Anita Desai
GOT THE POST-TRAVEL BLUES? (CLOSING THOUGHTS)
Welcome home from your trip!
While I hope that you have a lot to look forward to as you get cozy within your own four walls again, if you do experience a bit of depression after your awesome trip, I hope you find help within this post.
And if you have toddlers or babies included in your traveling group, be sure to check out my best tips for traveling with babies and toddlers here.
Share with me in the comments: What has been your best trip? What was it like to come home from that trip, and what have you found helpful for dealing with feelings of travel blues?
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