I just got back from consecutive trips to Sri Lanka, Prague and the Costa Brava and I’m feeling miserable. I’m suffering from excessive fatigue, a lack of appetite, impaired concentration and all-day crankiness. All signs of a dramatic post-holiday dip. Scientific research shows that the positive effects of a holiday only last for so long and a small percentage even develops signs of depression.

Fortunately, in my case it’s all thanks to a night of partying and little sleep and I expect I will feel better in a few hours ;)

Still, I do feel a tiny bit depressed. Traveling makes you feel amazing. Almost like a drug. You experience new things. You push your boundaries. You see and learn. You open your heart to new people and cultures. Especially, when being longer on the road, you get into a certain ‘travel vibe’ of happiness, adventure and freedom.

So, how to cope with a post-holiday dip and more importantly how can you hold on to that beautiful holiday feeling? Below are ten easy tips to keep you into the travel vibe.

1. Do a micro adventure

Read all about microadventures on the website of Alastair Humphreys or take part in his ‘Year of Microadventure‘. These are some ideas from his website:

    • Sleep in your garden
    • Swim wild – in a river, lake or sea
    • Learn to identify a new bird or new tree each month
    • Make a cup of tea on a stove you have made yourself
2. Read a book in your local coffee shop
I love reading while traveling!
I love reading in coffee shops while traveling! It’s so incredibly relaxing! Don’t forget you can also do this at home! These are some of my favorite backpacker reads!
3. Talk to strangers

Talking to strangers is an important part of the travel fun and I always love meeting new people and hear their stories! So, talk to the person next to you in the train, to a stranger in a cafe, to a friendly shop owner etc. We do this when we travel, why not do this at home?

4. Imagine you’re still traveling: Forget time, get lost in your own city/country, discover new streets or areas and continue to take photos!
Exploring my own city (Rotterdam)!
Exploring and re-discovering my own city with the Rotterdam Routes app!
5. Work on your travel stories and scroll through old travel photos
Looking back into your old travel photo's is great way to hold on to a holiday feeling!
Looking back to your old travel photo’s is great way to hold on to a holiday feeling!
6. Listen to your favorite travel music

Listening to your favorite travel music is a great way to hold on to that holiday feeling! Wonderwall of Oasis somehow always reminds me of backpacking, sitting around campfires, being on the road etc.!

7. Start dreaming about new trips
Where to next? Let Lonely Planet help you!
Where to next?
8. In case of bad weather upon return… Ignore it and find a solarium!
After weeks of sunny weather and vitamine D boosts, returning to rain and cold can be a bit depressing!
After weeks of sunny weather and vitamine D boosts, returning to rain and cold can be a bit depressing! The solution: find a solarium (please take caution of the health risks though and use with caution)
9. Follow a travel blog and travel along!

In this internet and live-update era it’s easy to travel along with someone via blogs, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube etc.! You can find some of the most popular travel blogs in this list! Not in this list, but also worth mentioning are: Karlijn Travels (currently traveling the Silk Road, beautiful Instagram photos, blog in Dutch) and Nomadasaurus (currently overlanding from Thailand to South Africa, cool FB page, blog in English).

10. Go to a restaurant representing your holiday country
IMG_6990
Look at those delicious Vietnamese rice paper rolls! This photo was taken today in my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Rotterdam: Little V!

How to deal with a post-holiday dip or post-holiday depression.Do you recognize the post-holiday dip? And do you have any additional tips on how to hold on to that holiday feeling?

10 COMMENTS

  1. Great post, I hope you’ll recover from the post travel blues soon! I know that feeling only too well ;) And thanks for mentioning my blog and Instagram account, that’s so sweet of you!

  2. Loved seeing your comments, I am just pulling one together for family travel memories! One I love is collectibles from your trip – not just trashy souveneirs but more practical. We love Christmas decorations as every year they come out of the box and we remember where and why we purchased them.

  3. Not only scroll through the photo’s but also make a photo book of them. Since it can be quite a process you have multiple evenings of fun ;-) And this is exactly what I’m going to do the upcoming evenings. (I sure can need some holiday vibes at the moments) Plenty of work for my Antarctica photo book.
    Besides that, also a good time to order big prints for in the living room. So every time you look at it you can return to that special moment.

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