The memory of a great holiday lingers long after you have returned home. Sun-kissed mornings, exquisite cuisine and indulge moments of serenity all create memories that feel almost too perfect to leave behind. Yet for many Elegant Resorts customers, stepping back into everyday life can bring a bittersweet contrast known as the "holiday blues".
At Elegant Resorts, we understand that your experience doesn't end when you board the return flight home. It continues through the way you carry those moments with you and there are ways that you can use these memories to maintain a continued positive trajectory for your mood even as you return to your standard routine.
Read on to learn more about how to get over the holiday blues and how to ensure that your post-holiday mindset is just as uplifting as your time away.
Understanding the Holiday Blues
Firstly, it is important to understand what the holiday blues are and to realise that you are not alone. These feelings are simply a natural reaction to the transition from freedom to routine after days spent in luxurious surroundings - whether that's at a private villa in the Maldives, a chic Parisian boutique hotel or an exclusive Caribbean retreat.
Wherever it is you have been staying, the return to work emails and household responsibilities can feel like an emotional drop on the back of an unprecedented high. You may find yourself missing the relaxed rhythm you achieved on your getaway, the personalised service or simply the indulgence of waking up with endless possibilities each day.
Thinking about all of this probably isn't making you feel any better about the transition. However, it is important to recognise these feelings in order to take the first steps towards learning how to get over the holiday blues. Ultimately, you need to get to a point where you can embrace your memories without letting the nostalgia cloud your mood.
Recreating the Holiday Experience at Home
One of the best ways to smooth the transition from holiday to daily life is to see if you can recreate elements of your holiday into your daily life.
If you have stayed at a luxury spa retreat, you could try to recreate a wellness ritual at home by investing in the appropriate products. This could include aromatherapy oils, skincare treatments, scented candles or a playlist which echos your time away. You could even book a session at a nearby spa if you need a specialist to recreate a particular therapy you experienced during your getaway
Those of you who had a luxury foodie holiday with Elegant Resorts which was filled with fine dining could take inspiration from your time away and recreate a particular dish you loved. You could then pair this with a particular bottle of wine you tried on your holiday. By weaving these subtle reminders of your holiday into your daily life, you can keep the essence of your trip alive and use your holiday as a force for good - making your new routine better than the one you had prior to your trip.
Stay Connected to Your Holiday
Memories grow stronger when they are celebrated. You could put together a photo album or a digital slideshow from your trip to provide a visual reminder of the joy you experienced on your getaway. Alternatively, you could arrange a meal out with friends or family members who joined you on your trip. That way you can spend time sharing stories and sharing laughter when discussing your time away.
The first few weeks after you return home can also be a great time to plan your next getaway. That way you can use the strong memories you have to create a tailor made list of activities and experiences you would like to recreate on your next getaway. Our luxury travel specialists can help with this process, providing tips and recommendations based on your preferences. The very act of speaking to a dedicated travel consultant can also reignite memories of your past holidays and reignite the excitement you felt having something to look forward to.
Embrace Your New Routine
While holidays offer freedom from schedules, returning home offers you the chance to shake up your routine, integrating new activities from your holiday that you feel made a positive impact on your mood or physically made a difference.
For instance, if you started each day of your holiday with a sunrise swim or yoga session, you could try integrating a shorter version of this into your morning routine back home. Not only will this energise you, but it will also create continuity between your time away and your life at home.
Wellbeing is at the heart of luxury travel and maintaining it once you return helps you hold onto the revitalised energy your holiday gave you. Think of your trip not as a break from everyday life, but as an investment in your long term health and happiness which will continue to reward you long after your return.
Change Your Everyday
Ultimately, the greatest gift of travel is not only the places you visit but the way they shape your life once you return. By embracing the new activities, foods or routines you have experienced and integrating these into your new standard daily routine, you can use the memory of your holiday as a power for good to make your everyday better.
Every holiday with Elegant Resorts is more than just a trip; it's a carefully curated experience designed to enhance your wellbeing and enrich your perspective. By adding new elements to your return, you can tackle those holiday blues every time they strike by reminding yourself how your holiday has altered your life for the better and instead use the time to cherish those memories that you have.
You can also challenge your mindset in these moments by looking towards the future. Instead of dwelling on what you are currently not experiencing, why not plan for what you can experience in the future. Use the experience to inform your next holiday and put something in the diary while it is still fresh in your mind. Ultimately this gives you something tangible to look forward to which makes getting through those more mundane periods so much easier.
You can start that process today by getting in touch with one of our luxury travel specialists, who will use their first hand experience to help you plan and organise your next highly anticipated holiday.