How do you keep the vibe after a holiday?

There are some moments in your life that you really remember with pleasure, and a holiday is usually one of them.

You know that feeling. You feel so great and relaxed, revitalised. You’ve probably eaten some amazing food, met some really interesting people and seen things that have inspired you. Plus, if it’s summer, you’ve gotten a suntan and feel healthy and energised. What a buzz – you feel so good. Don’t you sometimes think about how you could bottle that feeling?

And then you go back to work. You go from a relaxed pace to a more structured routine. The time for lazy sleep-ins is over (until the weekend anyway), and there is less space for just thinking about nothing.

So how do you bridge the space between holiday mode, and work life, and keep the vibe going?

Probably the easiest thing to start with is the basics. Sleep, diet and exercise. Keep up your regular exercise routine. Exercise always gives you a natural buzz, so get straight back into your regular routines. If you don’t have one, what a great time to start!

You should get creative. Not only is there scientific proof that being creative makes you happier, it can also help with mental health issues such as depression by creating a space for self-reflection. Activities such as writing about what you are experiencing can assist with getting over the feelings of depression. Think about writing a blog about your holiday experience, and share it on your social networks. Or try putting a photo story together.

Do something new. Not only does it take you out of your comfort zone, it keeps the momentum that you have been experiencing while you were away, exploring the holiday location environment. You’re already in the learning space from having visited a new place, so just keep it going. How about learning a new language, getting ready for the next adventure?

Why not share your experience? Bring back the slide night! Or the modern equivalent – Flip-a-gram! I’m a believer that people actually like hearing about your experience and seeing your photos – how do you know that they haven’t considered a similar holiday, and want to understand first hand your recommendations, both good and bad? I love a personal recommendation for travel. It might not be on the plans for straight away, but it opens up the possibilities. I researched for our recent holiday by writing to local food bloggers, looking for some recommendations on how to become a ‘local’ while we were in Hawaii. It was the best fun searching out the places she recommended (Leonard’s malasadas were a big hit).

Its’s fun to plan the next one and look forward to it and some people will use this as a bridging strategy, but don’t let that stop you from living in the moment, and trying some new things along the way!

So, unpack your bags; sleep off your jetlag and keep that vibe going!