After sharing a solo podcast on how I was prepping for a month of travel, I’ve received a lot of questions asking for the follow up – How do you get back into a wellness routine after vacation?!

I have 5 simple and effective habits that I use to ease back into a healthy post-vacation routine that I’m sharing below.

First, let’s start by remembering vacation isn’t the problem! A weekend to a few weeks out of routine has minimal impact on your overall health. Especially if you’re excited to find new blood sugar-balancing foods and spend your days exploring on foot. If you’re like me, you might even be moving more on vacation than at home! So don’t fear it – you go and enjoy that vacay!The problem happens when vacation behaviors turn into home habits. The biggest mistakes I see from clients when they come back from vacation are:

• Continuing to over-indulge in high sugar foods, processed foods, and alcohol, which impact sleep and decrease motivation for movement
• Becoming overly restrictive until inevitably caving into cravings, leading to an unhealthy restriction-overindulge loop
• Overloading schedule/commitments immediately and jumping straight into a heavy workload 
• Not addressing the impact travel makes on the body and taking time to re-adjust sleep
• Neglecting movement or overexerting too quickly

The best way to get back to a place of balance and well-being is to prioritize small habits into your daily routine. With my 5 hacks for easing back into a wellness routine, you can let your vacation inspire and motivate you forward instead of set you back!

5 Ways to Ease Back into Wellness Routines after Travel

1. Eat your way back into balance

There’s nothing I love more than a buttered croissant, and I let myself have plenty during my family’s month-long travels in France! Travel often means eating foods you normally don’t – higher sugar and/or higher calorie. And that’s totally okay! 

The goal upon returning home is to get back into your normal healthy eating routine as quickly as possible to help regulate hunger hormones and calm cravings. 

Remember, it's tempting to become overly restrictive as a counterbalance to vacation indulgence, but that can have negative consequences, too. Instead, adopt a sustainable, positive approach!

Hack your Stock

To help your transition back to healthy habits, make sure your home is stocked with healthy staples before and after your trip. I like to have Thrive Market and Amazon groceries scheduled for delivery the day I return to have healthy items on hand. I also keep my freezer stocked with protein options, soups, and frozen veggies/berries for quick and easy Fab 4 meals as soon as I return. Check out this blog to learn how I keep my pantry/fridge stocked with the Fab 4! I also have hundreds of Fab 4 recipes on the blog for you to create easy, high-protein meals at home.

Protein

Especially if your travels had you eating outside of your normal routine, you might experience fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Protein helps maintain satiety and stabilize blood sugar, reducing cravings, and preventing energy crashes. I recommend eating 1.2g of protein per pound of body weight for the first 48 hours after your travels. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, and it helps support recovery and overall well-being.

The Fab Four

Don’t overcomplicate it. A balanced intake of the Fab 4 – protein, fat, fiber, and greens – at each meal will help stabilize blood sugar levels and calm cravings. This will also ensure that you get the nutrients you may have been lacking during travels. Plating the Fab 4 post-travels is a powerful vote for your well-being, and it puts your health on the right trajectory after vacation. 

Be Well Tip: If you want extra support managing your blood sugar levels and more insight into what may be disrupting blood sugar, I recommend using a CGM, or continuous glucose monitor. Check out this blog to learn how to use a CGM at home.

2. Sleep your way back into balance 

Sleep, stress, and metabolism are all linked, so proper rest is essential for recovering from the strain of travel. Quality sleep helps repair muscles, restore energy levels, improve mood, and promote detox.

But post-travel sleep can be challenging due to time zone changes and disrupted routines. Your internal body clock (circadian rhythm) can easily become disrupted. Prioritizing quality sleep is key to getting back on track. Begin by re-adjusting your sleep schedule back to your time zone. That helps to realign your internal body clock, which will have beneficial downstream effects on health. 

Tips for getting sleep back on track: 

• Develop a calming pre-sleep routine to signal to your body it’s time to wind down. Activities like reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation techniques can help.
• Take a magnesium supplement to promote a peaceful night’s rest. If you’re curious about my personal supplementation, including the magnesium I love for sleep, you can find all that and more in my Clean Supplement Guide. 
• Wake up with the sun and get outside in the sunlight in the morning. Aligning your sleep with the natural light cycle of the day means your body is working with your circadian rhythm, not fighting it. Bonus, get some evening rays to your eyes, too!
• Put screens away an hour or two before bed. Bright light suppresses melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. If you can’t get away from screens (hey, late work nights!) try blue light-blocking glasses and turn down the brightness of your devices.
• Most importantly, be consistent. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Yes, even on weekends – sorry! But it really is so powerful at helping regulate your internal clock and improving your sleep quality over time.

Be Well Tip: Return to the flow of your peaceful evening routine so you can re-adjust your sleep schedule post-travel. Didn’t have a good routine prior to travel? No biggie! No better time than now to create one!

3. Time block your way back into balance

For most, vacations are a time to fully disconnect from work. Taking a break allows your mind to rest and recharge, reducing stress and improving overall mental health. This break can lead to improved productivity and job satisfaction upon return. It also allows you to fully engage with loved ones sans work distractions, contributing to a more fulfilling and meaningful experience.

While it’s important to enjoy time away from work, it can also be stressful. I get it! You might fear falling behind or stress over returning to a heavy workload post-travel. Thankfully, there are ways to disengage that don’t cause more stress! Here are some vacation work tips to have peace of mind while away and an easier transition when you return:

Before Leaving:

• Set clear boundaries: Before you leave, communicate with your team and clients about your absence and set expectations for response times. This helps manage workload and minimizes interruptions.
• Create a work-free zone: Designate specific times or spaces during vacation where you focus solely on relaxation and personal activities, avoiding work-related tasks completely.
• Turn off notifications: Disable email and work-related notifications on your phone to prevent constant work reminders and interruptions. Don’t be afraid to put your email inbox on OOO so you can fully enjoy your time away!
• Delegate responsibilities: Ensure turgent tasks are delegated to a trusted colleague or that appropriate arrangements are made to handle work in your absence.

Upon Return:

• Instead of diving straight into a packed inbox and full workload, give yourself some time to gradually adjust. To do this, schedule your return for Thursday/Friday to give yourself the weekend as a catch-up period. Use this time to address emails, reorganize your workspace, and review important documents you missed. Then, you can go into the following week feeling more prepared and under control. Having a dedicated catch-up period helps prevent the backlog from becoming overwhelming. 
• Where possible, ease back in. Maybe this means prioritizing tasks and setting aside time to catch up on what you missed. Use time strategically; focus on clearing out only a portion of your backlog to avoid burnout. Begin by tackling only the most critical tasks on your to-do list and breaking them down into manageable chunks. Again, this approach allows you to ease back into productivity without feeling overwhelmed.

Be Well Tip: Come back on a Thursday/Friday to give yourself the weekend to organize your inbox and be prepared for the week ahead.

4. Move your way back into balance

After taking a break, it’s so easy to let fitness routines slip. But reestablishing exercise habits can help you feel more energized, focused, and balanced. Prioritizing workouts after a vacation is crucial for maintaining physical health and mental well-being!

Avoid the post-vacation letdown

Not only is exercise great for physical well-being, it’s also great for mental well-being. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce stress. Getting back into workouts can help alleviate anxiety about returning to work or other responsibilities.

Schedule your post-vacation workouts – a group class, a session with a trainer, or just the time slots to work out at home! – either before you leave or on the way home. It doesn’t always feel amazing at the moment, but after your movement you can absolutely ride that post-workout high and be proud of yourself for getting it done! 

But ease back into it...

It’s easy to want to jump right back into your pre-travel workout routine when you get back from vacation. But I’m a fan of gradually easing back into it. This allows your body to adapt and reduces the risk of overexertion. Begin with consistent, shorter, less intense workouts, and gradually increase duration and intensity. Listen to your body and adjust as needed to prevent overtraining!

Consistency is most important when it comes to movement, so prioritize the movement you enjoy and will actually do. Take every opportunity to move your body. Remember, movement doesn’t just happen in the gym!

Be Well Tip: Book a strength-based workout before your departure so you have the accountability built in for when you get back home.

5. Motivate your way back into balance

Post-vacay blues are a real thing! Getting motivated after a trip can be challenging, especially if you're dealing with post-vacation fatigue and a disrupted routine. The previous tips are all about actionable steps you can take to get back on track, while this final step is really about adopting the right mindset to get you excited about your return home!

Take time to reflect on your trip and express gratitude for all the amazing experiences you shared with loved ones. This will help you appreciate the time off, and it’ll be easier to return with a refreshed headspace. Journaling is a great way to get out your thoughts and emotions. Here’s a simple journal prompt you can use: Identify what you enjoyed most about your vacation. Write out three highlights from your trip and how you can incorporate similar elements into your daily life going forward.

Be Well Tip: Revisit your goals to reignite motivation and remind you of why you want to get back into routine. Rediscovering what excites you about your work or personal projects can boost motivation and enthusiasm. When I lack motivation, I always lean on a good podcast or wellness book to re-inspire me. Check out The Be Well podcast for more wellness tips, expert advice, and post-travel motivation!

Final Thoughts

While it’s important to return to your routines as quickly as possible, adjusting back to your rhythms can take time. Be kind and patient with yourself, especially if things don’t fall into place immediately. Use these tips as a starting point when you return from your next travels. Instead of seeing it as the end of vacation, you’ll learn it’s only a launching point to bring you closer to where you’re going!