If you are like me, then you likely start feeling a low coming on as the end of your vacation approaches. This can usually begin a day or two before your return flight. Then, once you return home, you can get into a bit of a depression for a few days, especially if you return to wintery weather and daily routine. This is commonly reffered to as post vacation blues. Here are a few tips on how you can extend your vacation high after you return home.
Bear in mind that a lot of what we take in through our eyes and ears impacts our emotions. So relive your vacation through those senses. Did you go to the islands or another tropical place? Why not listen to local traditional music. Make sure you buy yourself a CD or DVD of the music while on vacation to listen back home. Yes, you can download it probably on iTunes or Amazon.com but having a physical disc with art and photos has an effect on both eyes and ears, and even touch of the hands. Try to get your hands on recording of natural sounds from the destination you visited. Listen to it with your eyes closed and picture yourself still there. Or listen while looking at the pictures you took. This is a great way to relax, especially before going to sleep. The day-to-day hustle of your life at home can slowly fade away as your mind drifts to the beautiful place you visited. Did you forget to buy music and sounds during your vacation? Don’t worry. You can purchase these vacation souvenirs online once you are back home.
Buy yourself souvenirs that are big enough to place as decoration in your home. Things like art work, paintings, large prints of photographs, etc. These will be a constant reminder of your vacation and you will get a feeling that you had when you were there each time you look at these souvenirs.
You will like this next tip. Try to learn to make dishes indigenous to the place you visited. Did you go on a vacation to Mexico? Learn to make tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, gorditas, etc. Did you vacation in Jamaica? Learn to make roti. The same can be said of vacations to Europe, Africa, Asia, and other places. This is a fun way to recreate some of the experience you had on vacation. Plus, you are adding another sense to sight and hearing, that of taste.
Another sense that you can reignite to feel your vacation high is smell. I love the smell of coconut oil. It makes me feel like I am at the beach. It is a very particular smell of lotions that people put on while on the beach. Smelling it can lift up the mood and make you remind you of the feeling you had in that place you visited. Can you think of other smells that remind you of your vacation? It might be certain perfume, or food.
Now imagine putting all of these tips together and bringing the senses of sight, sound, taste, and smell into a harmony so that each reminds you of your vacation at the same time. You will certainly feel that vacation high long after you return home, and avoid the post vacation blues people commonly experience. That would be sweet, wouldn’t it?