I spent the beginning of February in a state of ennui. It was a cruel, stubborn funk that I could not rid myself of, and though I knew the antidote for this curious malady, I struggled in bringing myself to administer it.
In the last days of January, I was rather cruelly snatched from a blissful, dreamlike state on a tropical island and firmly placed in a metal tube towards Australia. The withdrawal symptoms I experienced were like none other. Physically, I was back at my desk. Mentally, I was still revelling in the joys of my first overseas holiday since COVID; the languorous afternoons spent café hopping, entire days dedicated to daydreaming, and of course the truly spectacular memories created in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever had the fortune to explore. It is probably relevant to add here that this was my wedding trip, so perhaps it is only to be expected that one feels disappointment upon return to the daily grind.
Picture of said wedding.
However, more than the wedding itself, I found myself yearning to be back in holiday mode, to be in a place where it was completely acceptable to aspire towards the daft things that one imagines when one is en vacances. On more than one occasion, I caught myself believing that I was about to embark on a big and exciting trip, only to remember that the trip had in fact concluded, and I was already back at home.
It was sometime in the third week of February that I recognised it was time to change. Here are two interrelated things that I worked on:
1. Dream with purpose
My overarching dream these holidays involved refurbishing heritage listed townhouses, converting them into day spas, and creating collaborative art spaces for likeminded individuals.
Amazing? Yes.
Realistic? No (at least not at this point of my life).
To move on from my holiday, I had to offset this latent creative energy into a viable project – something I had been working on pre-holidays, that I knew would satisfy me and give me purpose. Yet, this task seemed gargantuan.
I felt exhausted each time I thought of returning to the project, and the idea of opening my documents felt near impossible. Eventually, I realised that I had built it up too much in my head. I had been daring myself to jump right in and start writing profusely, which was much too daunting for a post-holiday task. So, I changed my mindset and decided to just dip my toes in: all I needed to do was to visit Word and review my work.
I created a nice space for my first session back. It was a Sunday evening; I had spent my afternoon with family, followed by a catch up with a dear friend. Fresh from a shower and with a hot cup of tea in my hand, I felt ready to face the music.
The words did not come easily. Stunted sentences emerged from my head – I’d type them out only to delete them again. This process repeated itself a frustrating number of times. Eventually, I had 50 words on paper. I was a lot slower than I’d hoped to be, but I refused to berate myself. I had after all achieved my primary objective, which was to be engaged in my work again.
I knew that I could keep going with my project once I had the first session under my belt. But, I needed a good routine to further regulate me. This leads us to the next part of my piece.
How could one not be inspired after visiting this refurbished gem?
2. Routine
It won’t come as a surprise to anyone reading this that routines are our friend. Tedious though they may be, there is something to be said for knowing that you are where you’re meant to be at any point in time. We need the comfort of a daily routine, I guess, in order to become well-oiled machines.
My post-holiday routine was a mess. I overslept each morning, leaving little time to do anything but get ready for work. I cracked open my personal laptop in the evenings but failed to do anything properly productive, for I spent most of my time scrolling the Internet. Needless to say, this only propelled me further into the pit of doom.
Lucky for me, there was one saving grace: I had continued to attend workout sessions through my post-holiday despair. So, I used these sessions as my guiding star, slowly shifting into a more structured lifestyle.
Firstly, I realised that I preferred to exercise after work, so I decided to allocate my mornings to writing.
Next, in order to write in the morning, I enforced earlier bedtimes.
Then, to enjoy my morning sessions, I developed a series of activities to help me wake up.
Step by step, I began to build a routine that worked for me. It didn’t all come at once, of course, but I have finally found a cadence that helps me to appreciate my life at home. The small joys which had been overshadowed by the grandness of my holiday began showing themselves again, and I am in a much better place because of it.
A quick evening beach walk on the way to yoga.
It’s always hard to reacquaint oneself with the quotidian after some time away, but I do think that it is well worth the effort. After all, purpose is such an integral component in the pathway to happiness! I would love to hear how others settle back at home after an exciting holiday. Do you fall straight into routine, or do you think that routines are overrated? Let me know if you have any interesting strategies; I might just try them after our honeymoon in September!
