Have you ever felt discombobulated after getting home from a long-weekend holiday, work-trip, or cross country vacation? Me too.
While I love travel, I’ve found myself at times resentful or ungrateful of travel because of the way I feel trying to reacclimate to daily living afterward. I’ve learned over the years and with the help of coaches in my life that it’s really important to have a post-travel ritual or routine that supports me in getting back to feeling grounded and in flow or else I feel a little like a fish out of water - sometimes for days.
The first thing you might consider is looking at your schedule the day you get back and holding time for your favorite workout or the type of movement that always grounds you. For me this is typically an easy run or a slow, grounding yoga flow class. Give yourself more time than usual and consider viewing this particular movement session as a ritual. I love this definition of ritual: “routine imbued with reverence. Ritual is anything that attunes you to your higher self."
Next, I like to have a really fresh, nutrient-rich first meal home. It sets a tone of vitality and getting back into my rhythm. Sometimes this can be tricky if you’ve been away for a week or longer and your fridge is empty. Perhaps you can give yourself the permission slip to go out and get what your body is asking for until you get to the store to restock.
Lastly, take time on your return travel or when you get home to reflect on your experience. What was it like? What did you do, see, notice, love? What did you learn about yourself on this trip or adventure? If you’re more concerned about getting the bags unpacked and house in order (been there) allow yourself some grace with that and see what if feels like to first digest the whole experience you just had. Like I said, you could also do this by journaling on the airplane home.
I hope this supports you in some small way in your next post travel grounding and re-centering.
Onward and upward,
Maria
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” -Ernest Hemingway.