Beyond the Bags: Post-Trip Recovery & Focus
Re-Entry is no joke. And you probably need more than 24 hours. I know I do.
I have written and spoken multiple times about re-entry. Re-entry is the term we, myself and a few friends, use to refer to the getting-home-from travels, or really any up-ending of our normal schedule. It can be travel, or it can be an illness or something like a conference, even a local one, that takes us out of our normal for a few days up to a few weeks.
If you would like to review those past articles, Go to my website and click Blog” at the top, type “re-entry” in the search bar and at least three articles will pop up with advice for this transition time!
https://www.peaceofmindpo.com/blog/re-entry-after-travel-bumps-in-the-road (2024)
https://www.peaceofmindpo.com/blog/dealing-with-re-entry-managing-a-tired-brain (2015)
https://www.peaceofmindpo.com/blog/keep-the-vacation-going-with-an-organized-re-entry (2014)
To summarize, when facing re-entry, I strongly recommend we:
Arrive home and take a few minutes for a nature break and a big glass of water. Take a couple of deep cleansing breaths!
Then unpack the entire car (if you traveled by car). Yes, the entire car, and collect and toss the trash.
Unpack all the bags, yes all the bags. Start some laundry, put things away and then put away all the luggage. YES, all the luggage.
Check the mail, check the front porch for deliveries, where applicable. Plan to order or buy groceries. Keep working on the laundry. You get it.
And I have successfully managed the specific tasks around re-entry multiple times in the past month. AND, I was feeling a bit out of sorts. Because sometimes there is more to re-entry than just unpacking the car, putting away the luggage and doing the laundry.
The three articles I mentioned provided steps and planning for the first hour or first 24 hours of arriving home after a trip. The basics. But I need more this time.
I did a thorough job of vacationing, and that is noteworthy because I can’t always step away from work. But I did, and I’m proud of that because I don’t always get to make such a clean break. But I knew there might be an adjustment period because of it, and I’m there.
I will be vulnerable and transparent with you this week. I have been struggling! Not in some huge or dramatic way, but as an organized and productive person, I have been struggling in my head because I’m distracted, tired and unfocused. And that is frustrating for me.
And then I had a brilliant moment of clarity and awareness, and realized I am still working through re-entry, even though I got home from the big trip almost three weeks ago. I also realized that I need to slow down and enjoy the post vacation relaxation and stop pushing so hard to figure things out, because pushing is getting me nowhere. That clean break means I need to find my stride again, and that is ok, and I will.
Here’s what all of this means for me and my productivity:
We have a theory when it comes to re-entry, that we need as many days as we plan to be gone to plan for a trip, and we need as many days as we were gone on the other side, to feel back to normal. For example, we traveled to Alaska and back from Thursday to Wednesday. According to the theory, I needed at least 7 days after to start feeling like things were back to normal. And instead, 7 days after we returned from Alaska, we were already traveling again. And then again. So I just looked at the calendar, and if my re-entry theory holds true, some time next weekend, I should expect to feel back on track. (Insert facepalm emoji here)
Wow.
So, this feeling of “off-kilter” is understandable and even expected. And I even have a theory about it! But I needed to apply it to myself. This awareness is important, to be able to put a name to what I’m struggling with. To acknowledge it, and to respect the process. Which means cutting myself some slack instead of pushing so hard to immediately get back to “normal”.
And what can I do to make things better?
I will pay attention to the usual survival tasks even more: rest / sleep, hydration, healthy food choices, deep breathing.
I will be honest with myself about my expectations, asking or grace and flexibility from others and for myself as I re-adjust.
I am writing this article on a Saturday afternoon while everyone else is outside in the sun and the lake. And that is ok, because working on this in the cool and the quiet is what I want to be doing right now.
I will do a brain dump, or as my friend Jen christened it, a Cranial Cleanse. I’ve done the cranial cleanse, now I need to put all the info in order!
I saw a really great visual today on pinterest for a Brain Dump, It was a piece of paper sectioned into “People to call”, “House tasks”, “Bills to Pay”, “Errands to Run”, etc..
If my schedule permits, I will block out some planning time for this week, the rest of this month, Q3, etc.
I will meditate this week to clear my head and set my purpose. Why do I always forget such a great tool?!
And, next time, I will remember to plan for these extra days next time we travel.
Re-entry is no joke. Re-entry needs to be acknowledged, respected, planned for and allowed. Because pushing harder is not always the right solution, and it certainly isn’t for me this week.
Can you relate with this? Does it resonate? Please let me know! I want to make sure that what I am writing about is what my community wants to hear about. Reach out to me via my website, via my social media channels like Facebook and instagram, or via email, colleen@peaceofmindpo.com, or via text at 708.790.1940. I would love to hear from you and how best I can support you and your journey to your best life.
