We are back from a great family vacation. It was so nice to have the three boys together along with our nephew for some laid back time in the sun, a day spent on a boat, hanging out in the beautiful Caribbean waters, enjoying some ferocious card games and, of course, sharing some mighty good meals.
I had to laugh today when one of my sons shared that he and my nephew shared Snapchats of each being back at work sitting at their desks, quoting “back to reality”. That’s always the case isn’t it? The coming home from a vacation back to all the life stuff and back to normal routines. I have to admit that I am a routine kind of person and while I hated coming home with almost every ounce, I do like getting back to eating lighter, moving more and being on a routine. It just makes me feel better.
Since all good vacations must eventually end, here are my top three tips for getting back to life and rebooting the body.
- Jump right in. This means don’t put off getting back to your exercise routine. The more you put it off the more painful it will be. I always exercise on vacations. I make it a point to get up and do something to sweat. Even so, it isn’t quite the same. I can tell when I’ve had time away from my normal routine, even if I have been active and exercising. Yesterday our flight home was continuously delayed making for a really long and tiring day. We got in late and after taking a bit to wind down finally got to bed later than usual. However, this morning rather than sleeping in, I got up when the Third Son did for his early morning workout. I took care of all those dreaded emails, did a grocery store run and jumped into teaching class. While I was huffing and puffing from my days off, I felt so much better getting in a good workout and sweat. I think the quicker you can get back to your workout routine the better. You’ll feel better, and your next workout will feel even better.
- Tighten up your nutrition. While at the grocery store I loaded up on lots of vegetables, salad makings, fruits, nuts, protein powder, and lean proteins for light meals. (In fact, The Husband even commented on how organized our fridge looked!) While I always cheer you on to enjoy your vacation and the local vacation foods, when it’s time to come home it’s time to eat like you should at home. A week, or more, won’t undo any of your healthy gains or habits, as long as you don’t remain in vacation mode once you get home. Another thing to do when you get home is to load up on fiber. Eat it at every meal and in between. Cram it in where you can! It will fill you up, and the way fiber works coming through your body, it’ll just drag any other stuff out with it. Nice, huh?
- Let some things go. If you come back to a stack of mail, even more bills, endless emails and, of course, the never-ending piles of laundry, you just have to let some of that go. It is not going anywhere, I promise. Do what has to be done on that day, and move a pile until tomorrow and the next day. The worst thing that can happen is that you undo all the good you did for yourself by actually taking a vacation by driving yourself crazy and stressing out over things that really can wait. Honestly, you should see the piles of laundry lining the hall outside of my office . . . and here I type while laundry waits and I’m sure dog hair sits in the corners. This used to have driven me nuts and would have had me pulling out my hair, but I’ve finally realized that all those piles are not going to burst into flames if not taken care of. So, here is permission to just let some things go.
Whether you have a two day or two week vacation, I say enjoy, appreciate and bask in its gloriousness. Then when you come back to reality, get right back in, focus on your nutrition and only on what has to be done in that moment. Keep your healthy habits, your sanity and some of that feel good that vacation brings!
Live Big & Be Well!
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