Post-Vacation Planner
Dread. Overwhelm. Anxiety. Sadness.
We all know the Sunday Scaries but when returning to work after a vacation, this feeling takes a new form as it mixes with sadness.
I call this Getaway Gloom, which I define as a feeling of apprehension and melancholy as a vacation comes to an end and the return to everyday responsibilities looms. Getaway Gloom has two main components:
Anticipatory sadness as you contemplate the freedom, relaxation, and joy you’ve experienced on this vacation, and how elusive these feelings can feel in your day-to-day life
Dread and anxiety as you think about resuming the demands of daily life with its routines, challenges, and stressors.
As much as we all need time off, mentally preparing to come back can make you wonder whether the joy of vacation is worth the pain.
Fortunately, we can turn to science to create a practical tool to help you turn Getaway Gloom into an opportunity to savor the beautiful moments of your vacation, as you develop a sense of calm and clarity as you head into your week.
I’ve created the Post-Vacation Planner to help bridge the gap between vacation and the reality of daily life. Through a series of thoughtfully designed reflection prompts and planning exercises, you’ll reflect on your time away, get clear on your priorities for the weeks ahead, and organize your upcoming tasks. This planner will help you fully enjoy your last days of vacation, go to bed with a clear mind, and start the week confidence and optimism.
After using it, you will feel:
Peaceful and at ease
Grateful for the vacation you had
Present
A sense of clarity
Confident
Motivated
And in the future, knowing that you have this tool will make it easier to enjoy and be fully present during your entire vacation.
When to use it
The Post-Vacation Planner most effective when used during the last day of your vacation and your first day back at work.
How it works
This unique planner leverages key principles and practices from positive psychology and neuroscience, including:
anticipatory savoring
positive reframing
mindfulness and reflection
gradual reintegration
goal setting and planning
routine and ritual
Rather than trying to get caught up on emails and other work on the last day of your vacation, the approach we take here is to treat the last day as vacation (or at least personal time). Here’s a preview:
Sunday (or the last day of your vacation)
6 Reflection Questions:
1. What went well on your vacation?
2. What did you like most about yourself on vacation?
3. What emotions are coming up as you think about going back to work tomorrow?
4. What are you most worried about?
5. What’s one fun thing you can look forward to tonight?
6. What personal tasks can you do today that will help you feel prepared and ready tomorrow?
Monday (or the first day of work)
3 primary action items:
1. Define your top priorities.
2. Take stock of the next 2-3 weeks.
3. Only once you’ve done the first two steps, process your inbox and to-do lists through the lens of your top priorities.
How to use it
I’ve created two different versions of the Post-Vacation Planner so you can choose the one that is most convenient for you:
📝 Google Docs Template. As an editable template, you can make a copy and save it to your Google Drive. Any time you are preparing to return from vacation, you can create a new version of the template.
📄 PDF Download. I also have a traditional PDF download if you don’t use Google Docs, or you prefer to handwrite your responses.
