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Keeping it Together | WISDOM AND TIPS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT US | Saturday, July 31 | | |
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| This past weekend I left my house. For days. It was very strange. |
| Sixteen months into a life-altering pandemic, many of us have spent vastly more time in our homes than we are used to, from not leaving for leisure and work activities to canceling travel plans. Although I moved twice during the pandemic, I didn't take any trips away until this month. And I was surprised by both how similar and different it felt from pre-pandemic travel. |
| I wrote a few issues ago about my fears of flying that stemmed from a long quarantine. To my relief, stepping into the airport didn't feel all that foreign to me, other than everyone was wearing a mask (well, at least 90% of people I saw were following the federal mask requirement ). It wasn't too crowded, although my planes were full on both ends of my journey. I wasn't as scared as I predicted, nor did my fellow travelers act fearful or inappropriate. |
| When I landed in Michigan to visit family, I cried while hugging my sister for the first time since last March. I slowly coaxed my pre-school niece out of her shell after she had only seen me through a screen for so long. And I met my baby nephew, luxuriating in the feeling of holding him and smelling him (babies do smell amazing) after my only experience of him for his whole short life was in 2-D. |
| Those were the good parts. Some of the surprise negatives included a big struggle to fall asleep in unfamiliar surroundings in my Airbnb. And of course, while visiting children ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, our activities were limited to those we could do outdoors (where it was boiling hot) or hanging out at my sister's house (its own kind of quarantine). |
| Still, it was a slice of sort-of-normal as I worry about the continued trajectory of the pandemic. When I got home I was ecstatic to greet my dog, and pretty excited to collapse on my own bed. I thought, "Hey, I can do this." I can find my boundaries and comforts and risk tolerance and safety no matter what happens around me. And that's a great feeling. |
Today's tips on returning from vacation |
| On Thursday I logged on to work at 8 a.m., about 18 hours after my plane touched down from my return journey. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing I've ever done. |
| And I know I'm not alone. Sara Moniuszko wrote a story for us this week about returning to work after vacation, which she likened to the Sunday scaries – but worse. |
| You're supposed to feel happy and rested, but oftentimes you feel the opposite. |
| As Twitter user @SkarSkarSkar writes, "Going back to work after taking a week off and I'm filled with anxiety, guilt, feeling like I'm lost/all over the place — can often feel like it erases the necessary (rest and recuperation) the (out of office) time was originally for." |
| Experts say there are multiple factors that contribute to not getting the relaxation that's expected out of vacation, but luckily there are ways to make the transition back a bit smoother. |
| So how do you fight this uncomfortable phenomenon? Well part of it is making sure you set up a restful vacation from the beginning. |
| "Cramming in as much as we possibly can into our work week before vacation creates a sense of overwhelm leading up to the actual vacation itself," explains digital wellness expert Mark Ostach, adding that organizing the last-minute details of going away can also add stress. "Anxiety leading up to a vacation can sometimes disrupt our ability to get into the time off." |
| The type of vacation can also contribute to your level of relaxation. |
| "When we hear the word 'vacation,' we often think of relaxing and unwinding. While this can be the case for many types of vacations... other trips may actually require quite a bit of energy – think beach vacation versus visiting a big city," explains Melissa Dowd, a therapist at virtual mental health and primary care company PlushCare. |
| You can also make the transition back a little easier on yourself. |
| Set yourself up for success by not overloading your schedule the week you're back. |
| "Go easy on yourself as you transition back to the daily grind and make few plans the week after your return," Dowd advises. |
| If possible, give yourself a day or two buffer between your trip and work for a chance to recharge. "Your body and mind will welcome that opportunity to adjust back to your normal daily life," she says. |
| Going to bed early that week will also help you feel fully rested and combat any jet lag you may experience from travel. |
| You can read the full story here. And I wish you truly restful vacations. |
 | | We hope to feel rested when we return to work from vacation, but oftentimes we don't. Luckily, there are ways to make the transition a bit smoother. | | nensuria, Getty Images/iStockphoto | |
Today's reads |
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 | | A devilish contestant on "Sexy Beasts." | | Netflix | |
Today's pet |
| Because I abandoned him for five days and felt incredibly guilty about it, I am featuring my very own Apollo in a picture his dog sitter took and sent to us. |
 | | This is possibly one of my favorite pictures of him ever. | | Kelly Lawler/USA TODAY | |
| He seemed to do OK without me and my husband for a few days after spending every single day of the last 16 months with us. The only problem? We think the dog sitter walked him more than our usual three walks a day. And he is definitely a little spoiled. |
| That's all for this Saturday. Stay safe, stay well. The newsletter will return on Wednesday. Until then please keep sending us pet photos (I know there are more cuties out there ready to be featured), feedback, concerns and anything else to our email here. We adore hearing from you. |
| All my very best, |
| Kelly Lawler |
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