My top tips from recovering from travel.
My break from writing was unexpected, but the reason for it shouldn't be.
Dear reader,
I’ve been MIA for the last few weeks on account of - well - travel. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was planning for several upcoming trips, and the time away from home and all of the logistics finally got the best of me!
The month has been a whirlwind, and I capped it off with a work trip that pushed the limits of my flexibility, beginning with a missed flight connection that caused an unexpected overnight stay in Detroit and got me to San Diego an hour before the conference started and ending with a red-eye flight during which I slept no more than 90 minutes and had to go to work the next day.
Are you tired? I am.
So let’s talk a little bit about recovering from travel. Because while travel is often fun and games, it can also be exhausting!
Aliyah’s top three tips for recovering from travel exhaustion
Take a nap. There’s a lot of advice saying that in order to adjust to a new time zone you should stay awake until a normal bedtime on arrival day. I always feel better after taking a nap when I’m tired, whether that involves sleeping in or finding 20 minutes for a power nap in between meetings. It helps me reacclimate to my normal schedule more quickly than waiting until I’m even more tired to take care of myself.
Schedule food delivery. You might have just spent a lot of money on your vacation, but taking one thing off your plate (no pun intended) right when you get home frees up time for the plethora of additional tasks that come with getting home from a trip - unpacking, doing laundry, and catching up on sleep. Pro tip: schedule your food delivery while you’re on the way home from the airport so it’s there when you arrive!
Unpack right away. This seems counterintuitive to my previous two tips that promote restfulness. But I don’t mean unpack and do laundry and put everything away. Personally, I dump my suitcase on the floor of my living room and then move things to their proper place every time I walk by. (I read a version of this tip somewhere that didn’t involve intentionally making a mess - I’ll add a reference when I find it!) For you, this might instead mean leaving your suitcase open in a corner of your laundry room.
I’ve been home for a few days and I still have a pile of suitcase in my living room; I’m hoping to get it cleaned up by Thursday when I bring a lot of work-related items back to the office.
What’s your top tip for recovering after travel?
P.S.: Did you know I am available to plan your next trip? I specialize in travel planning for busy young professionals. Learn more!