If you look at the photo above of me taking the bus back to the airport knowing my vacation has ended and it’s time to go home, what you see is the face of post-travel depression and exhaustion. All rolled up in one.
For those who enjoyed their vacation and love traveling, post-travel depression (PTD) (aka Post-Vacation Blus) hits people hard, in fact, it can last for days, weeks, months and for some people, even years.
May it be exhaustion, lack of motivation, emotional feelings that may make you cry, you may not be a hungry, a combination of feelings that you deep inside. The realization that the opportunity to escape from reality is now over and you have to get back to work, back to school or back to having major responsibilities starts to become clearer and clearer.
The realization that you wish you done this or done that on your trip and not doing enough.
Just know that PTD is temporary!
You know it’s time to get back to your life, back to work and for some people, back to the normal, mundane, the banal or stressful reality they have yearned to escape from, even for a short while.
Post-travel depression can also affect us in other ways, especially if you have family and friends who are traveling to places that you love or dreamed of going, you may feel that you wish you could be doing that right now or have the financial means to do so.
You will find many articles on PTD online, you will find forums like this, this, this or this online. You are looking at this blog post because you want your feelings to be acknowledged. If that’s the case, then my friend… Yes, Post-Travel Depression is for real!
Many thousands of people go through it! I go through it!
For me, traveling is my opportunity to experience culture, meet new people and doing things, knowing my life has changed for better. And you want it to continue. Sure, there are books, the Internet and social media on travel, but it’s not the same when you are doing it behind a monitor screen or reading it in a book, knowing full well that nothing beats the real thing.
But I know in my life, unlike others travel nomads. who could travel all the time, for me, I’m limited by how many days of vacation time that you have accrued at a job. How much money you have saved up. And let’s be real, there are other reasons why you may be unable to travel as often, may it be financial, personal, health or family obligations.
If you are able to make it happen though, may it be that first time or the 100th time, traveling is one of those fantastic experiences that gives us happiness, but also sadness when it comes to an end.
Far too often, I try to help friends who are experiencing post-travel depression, because only those who travel know the feeling when it hits you, others who don’t, they will more than likely be unable to understand.
How do I cope? Here are my top ways to coping with PTD!
Here are things I do to beat the post-travel depression:
- Stay Busy! – There is one positive thing about getting back to reality, work will keep you busy. School will keep you busy. For me, I document my travels on my blog, I write about it. It really does take your mind off things! I take thousands of photos and capture a lot of video, that keeps me busy as well!
- Make Sure You Catch Up on Sleep! – Face it, not everyone can sleep through a plane! I make sure that I give myself two nights or more of sleeping at home before I can get back to functioning again. Some people can return the day before they go back to work and barely have enough sleep. To each their own, but sleep is important and if you didn’t sleep well during your vacation or sleep on the plane, you’re going to be jet lagged and tired. Sleeping is important!
- Plan Your Next Trip – Plan on your next destination! Places you want to go! Sure, I know a few people who like to be spontaneous, I personally don’t mind a little spontaneity when I travel, but I do want to have alternatives! Think about what season you want to travel!
- Plan on How Else You Can Make Your Trip Better and What to Wear! – Wish you had better shoes? Wish you had a better backpack? Wish you had more money saved? You have the time to plan and purchase or save…do it!
- Did you Meet Someone on Your Trip? – Communicate with them online ala social media, it helps!
- Talk to Like-Minded People who Travel – No one is going to understand what you are going through unless they been in your shoes? So, if the person you are talking to doesn’t understand, don’t waste your time explaining. Talk/communicate with like-minded people who travel and have the same passion as you do.
- Join a Travel Community or Website – Be part of a travel community and website and help other travelers and give them advice! TripAdvisor or Yelp! and travel forums on Facebook are worth visiting.
- Read Travel Blogs/Magazines/Books, Watch Travel Vlogs, Listen to Travel Podcasts – Continue to educate yourself and expand your horizons!
- Try New Things! – You tried new things by traveling, why not continue that back at home? Trying new restaurants. Listen to new music. Travel to locations that you have never been to. Attending new events, reading new books, learn a new language, etc.
- Time – As time goes by, as days, weeks and months past, you will get better. You’ll have your moments. But just know, if you loved traveling, you’ll end up traveling again. It’s all about when and where, so make it happen!
