How to Get Back on Track After Vacation

I love going on vacation but I always feel like I’m behind the 8 ball when I get back to reality and sometimes, it can take a few days to feel 100% back to normal and on top of things. Having just taken a long weekend jaunt to Chincoteague Island and Williamsburg, I thought this would be a good time to chat about how to get back on track after vacation. Thankfully, my work week is pretty quiet (DC is pretty much a ghost town in August) but usually that’s far from the norm. And with busy work days, you don’t always get the luxury of easing back into things and just have to hit the ground running. From weddings to trips home and a Phoenix vacation, I’ve traveled more this year than I have in awhile and I think I have a pretty solid checklist to get you feeling back to normal. Ready? Let’s go.

Clean Your House before Leaving for Vacation: I know this is kind of cheating since you have to make sure you do this before your vacation but I promise, it makes a world of difference. Before I close the door in my apartment and head to the airport, I make sure I have a clean kitchen, the garbage is taken out and most importantly, there are fresh sheets on my bed. After a day of traveling home, unexpected obstacles usually pop up and when you finally get home, you just want to collapse onto your bed. Slipping into clean sheets is probably one of the best feelings in the world and pretty much guarantees a glorious night’s sleep, which is key to making it to work the next day on time. It’s the little detail that makes a BIG difference.
Prep Healthy Meals for the Week: I’ll be upfront, I’m not the healthiest eater on vacation. Over the weekend, I had French fries every day and that was just the tip of the fried food feast. I came home feeling particularly fluffy and without getting TMI, when I eat fried food, it shows up with a puffy face. Not a cute look, guys. I have a few big-batch healthy meals that I make the first day I get back with the main ingredients coming from my pantry. Stock up before you leave and you’ll be set with a week’s worth of breakfast and lunches in about 30 minutes. For lunch, I turn these Buffalo Roasted Chickpea Wraps into salads and for breakfast, I am all about the overnight oats. Here’s my go-to recipe for PB+J Overnight Oats, delicious and incredibly filling! The recipe doesn’t call for it but I add a spoonful of strawberry jam, it’s my non-guilty guilty pleasure.
Keep Yourself Hydrated: Part of feeling that post-vacation fluff is dehydration so I do my best to refill my Bobble water bottle a few times during the work day. But sometimes you gotta mix it up and put a little pizzazz into your 9-5. That’s where my IZZE Sparkling Water comes in. It’s light and fizzy with just the right amount of watermelon flavor and makes me feel a vacation moment right at my desk. There’s just something about bubbles to make you feel festive and just more alert! Be sure to save the bottles for a fun DIY project like this DIY Cactus Centerpiece.
Map Out the Week: If you’re a regular on my blog (Hi!), you know I’m a big fan of to do lists. It’s easier to conquer the week when it’s broken down into manageable pieces. I will write down everything I need to do that week, both at work and home. Then, I’ll rank them in terms of importance/deadline and create a to-do list for each day. Suddenly, the crazy week doesn’t look so crazy after all. Keep calm and check things off your to do list.

Are you planning on any summer trips? I’ll be in DC until Labor Day weekend when I’m flying out to Chicago for a wedding and I cannot wait! Definitely going to give this post a re-read when I get back from that trip ; )

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This post was sponsored by IZZE®. All opinions and product sentiments are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep the DC Girl in Pearls party going!