When You Need a Break...After a Bad Vacation

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Time off doesn’t always go as planned. So, what can you do when you come back to work more exhausted than when you left—especially when everyone assumes you’re well rested and recharged? 

First, take stock of your health and energy. It’s possible that you’ve veered away from your healthy routines, maybe skipping physical activity, indulging more than you typically do in your daily life, or spending more time around challenging family dynamics. When you return, assess your sleep, movement, interpersonal connections, time spent outdoors, and relaxation, and determine what you need. 

Then ease back into work. Resist the temptation to dive into work headfirst by building in a day of transition and recovery before returning to normal. You might even extend your auto-response by a day or two. 

Be sure to reflect on the positives of your vacation and reframe and learn from the negatives. Even a bad vacation might have had some highlights—savor those. And use the lowlights to clarify what you need from future time off. 

Finally, take the opportunity to start fresh and set new habits and routines. Your return is a great time to establish practices that further enhance your energy and productivity, like exercising, setting new goals, or writing in a journal each night.

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