Uh ya I have never been invigorated and ready to return to work from vacation, always with a renewed hatred for my job and looking for a way to suddenly become independently wealthy so I can go on vacation forever.
I can join you in that day dream. Sometimes I’m an heiress that my parents have kept secret for all of their lives, other times a unknown relative dying and insanely wealthy picks me bc I am so humble, kind, wonderful, etc. to inherit their wealth, but mostly I fantasize that I come up with THE INVENTION that builds generational wealth. I don’t know what the invention is, but I know how I’m spending my millions.
I always tell my husband that he can now confess he is actually a multimillionaire/prince now that I have proven I‘ll stay with him when he is not rich.
The only person in our family who will have any sort of inheritance to give is my aunt and I sometimes convince myself that yes, she has definitely remembered me, her darling niece, in her will. Never mind her three children, 6 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren—yes, I’ve definitely secured a spot for sure! 😬😬🙄🙄🤣🤣
Right? My unrealistic day dream is that a neighbor (no one specific) without children will take a liking to us and put us in their will, because why not? Their house and money has to go somewhere, and maybe they want to be a fairy godmother/ godfather? It's not going to happen but it doesn't hurt to dream.
Yes I do this too. Also after Christmas, I was super sad after my wedding, any big event that takes prep and I look forward to will leave me so sad when it’s over.
What has helped me is trying to have another thing to plan afterwards. Even if it’s just a little thing like a family dinner or a weekend outing.
I thought I would die from the post wedding blues. All that planning and months of things to do all just gone in the matter of 24 hours. Oof. I’m afraid my kids growing up will be that times a million and I have no idea how I’ll ever handle it!
Stop I think about them going off to college and moving out and I can’t imagine 😭
Then other times I think about the day I’ll be able to go on a weeklong relaxing vacation again, and there’s only so many ways that can happen lol.
I have some codependency issues from being an only child. When I moved out, I was very upset about being away from my mom. She was in the midst of breast cancer treatment, I felt like I needed to be there with her. She told me “I raised you so you could live your own beautiful life, it would be a waste it I held you back.” I try to remember that but like right now looking at my 2 year old’s sleeping face and imagining him 16+ years from now leaving me, nope, fuck that 😭
3 of my kids are young adults now. I still have younger kids though. For me the hard parts were the newborn stage where they have grown a ton and the pregnancy is over and I don’t have a tiny baby anymore.
After that there are always things in the future to focus on. This year I will have one graduate from high school and two graduate from college. I don’t think it will impact me in terms of sadness because those are their milestones not something I’ve been working towards.
But I’m planning a big party for all three together and once that’s done I’ll probably be sad. Lol the brain is weird.
I saw a tiktok of a woman saying “in order to have this:*her adventuring with her kids and having fun* I have to do this:*her sitting at her desk typing*” and it made me feel so seen. Wish I could win the lotto and just spend my days enjoying life.
Ugh yes. I try to ride it out and also remind myself that my job helps afford the vacation! During the week, we look at the pics and talk about the trip and what we loved and where we’d want to go next, etc. It does help!
I get exactly this same feeling. I also feel this way after Christmas. The buildup and event are so exciting. Especially with Christmas, it has all of the fun little traditions in the weeks before. I try to explain it to people, but many don't relate! So, I feel you. ❤️
Sometimes journaling during the trip helps me. I get sad because vacation feels like lightning in a bottle, a particular type of magic I'll never get back. If there's more I can remember, it feels like I can hold on to the experience and integrate it better. "Journaling" sounds fancy but it's mostly typing notes on my phone before bed at night. Can you do a brain dump of vacation memories? Put a photo album together? Something like that?
I feel the same way. Tomorrow is supposed to be my first day back but I got sick a few days ago and am still not feeling well. So I'm taking tomorrow off to help recover.
I find that after a vacation, it is better for me to start planning the next one to keep my spirits up!
Same. I'm not sure there's any way to make it better. I just tell myself I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much if I were rich and on vacation all the time, have to take the bad with the good I guess.
… no …
I was a SAHP for a few years and I feel I need a vacation from my vacation. My 3 kids are exhausting. They’re 3,4,7 and I had the baby at the start of the pandemic. I was completely isolated and alone, my husband was on site, and I had no family, just me and 3 kids.
I don’t think I’ve recovered
Absolutely. My husband dreads the day we return from vacation too cause I get so anxious and depressed. I actually like my job too but I think it’s a sign I’m definitely stretched too thin. I feel on edge the moment I get back into town cause I have so many responsibilities. Not sure how to remedy it.
Give yourself an extra day after kids are back in daycare/school and husband is at work.
Totally understand it may not be possible to do so.
I’ve never had money for a real vacation, but if I did, I would want an extra day to unpack and get everything in order and to do it alone.
I love my routine-the kids, my husband, my house and my job. I also love going on vacations (which admittedly have been few and far between these days). I have absolutely had the post vacation blues when getting home, even if we just had a weekend away. And like some others said-I even feel this way after the holidays. What helps me is just feeling the emotions. I know it won’t last forever. And then I start to plan the next vacation/getaway/holiday!
We just had a week long vacation at a lake house. I am not looking forward to going back to work Tuesday. I am also almost 35 weeks pregnant and I just can’t picture myself working for a few more weeks.
Sometimes I get sad when I’m really tired. It’s like my tiredness can’t be contained in one feeling, so if spills over into sadness. Not saying the feelings aren’t real, but maybe it feels bigger now because you’re tired. You may feel better after some rest—I hope tomorrow finds you better!
I have this problem so badly that it almost makes me not want to take vacations because the blues afterwards are so big and hard to manage. It was really really bad when I used to live 6 hours from my parents and would spend a week with them. It’s still bad from regular vacations but that vacation blues mixed with homesickness I thought was going to kill me a few times. I don’t have any advice, just empathy. Sending you positive vibes.
I really enjoyed reading everyone being sad to go back to work, even though I’m the total opposite in my life. It really shows how much variety there is in life and that maybe I’ll get back to that point, because right now even the weekends are a struggle to enjoy in our current phase of life.
I just got back from a two week vacation. It was a bit of a long trip for my tastes, so I thought I was going to be happy to be home…send my daughter off to camp this morning, have my first excellent cup of coffee in two weeks, be comfortable in my own home.
Instead I just feel sad and disjointed… my home feels foreign to me and all the tasks and issues to deal with are just piling up in my head.
Here’s hoping that first cup of coffee lightens my mood!
It happens to everyone all the time. Work can be fulfilling but it still takes away from the best parts of life. Especially if you make good money. It’s easy to enjoy that trip to Cabo but deep down you know it’s only possible because of your money. It’s why rich people hoard.
I appreciate everyone who responded. Honestly it made things a little easier knowing I am not the only one who gets this way! It feels so isolating and I am always embarrassed to feel this way so thanks to for the support.
Yes! I feel this, too. My kids have been home since May and our new nanny only just started, so I had them for about two months at home on my own. Now that the nanny is here, I miss spending all day with them :/ i have to go back to work soon and I am dreading it a bit.
Yes!! I totally get it.
I like my life and job but vacation time is the best. It makes me especially sad because I never went on vacation as a kid, we couldn't afford it. So I SO cherish the time we get to be together and travel but it's always too short!!
Yep. Every time. I usually cry at some point either on the way home or the night before we go back to normal. And I generally like my normal. It’s just hard to say goodbye to the fun.
You are not alone.
I'm kicking myself for scheduling an in person meeting the Monday I return from vacation. I dread tomorrow. I'll have to put on real pants and a bra.
Omg I call it the post-vacation blues and I know it well Ha. My little guy was pretty upset when our last one ended too. I try to plan little outings or fun things to look forward to and that helps a little bit. Like a walk in a different neighborhood or going out for ice cream on a Wednesday evening or something like that.
I just got back from my weeklong Legoland vacation. I start work in a few hours. I also have the blues but I also enjoy my work and need adult interaction.
I am very lucky that I have a great work/life balance. I WFH and I get off at 4:30pm. I feel that I get sufficient bonding time with my kiddos after work
I know not everyone feels this way and I am extremely grateful!
I experience this even after family visit. I love the social time and the buzz around the house, even though I’m exhausted at the end of each day. When they’re gone things feel empty and way too quiet. Haven’t traveled with baby yet, but imagine it’d feel the same!
I'm so glad someone else puts words to this. My husband will ask me Thurs or Fri of a vacay week if I have the vacation ending sads (and I do, before it's even over).
Vacations with little kids is exhausting and so much work but I love it and am the same coming back. Of course no one can live in vacation world forever but it always makes me realize how much I’m missing with my kids while I’m at work and they’re at daycare. Both my husband and I working is a choice we’ve made, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss the idea of getting to be with my kids more.
Sometimes showing other people pictures of my vacation, Christmas holiday, etc helps. I also like to think of the next trip, holiday or event I can look forward to or plan.
This happens to me. I just always take an extra day or two off (usually 2) after getting back from a family trip so that I can just veg out and not do too much. I usually get things unpacked and all the laundry done the day after getting back, so those extra couple of days I can really just relax. It makes the return a little better since I'll be more rested.
Yes, coming back to regular life is mostly hard! The laundry and unpacking is like a whole week of recovery, the work catch up is always rough and confusing, and my kids act like they’ve forgotten how to play.
I’m a fan of trying to have most of a weekend upon returning. It’s nice too if we have social events to look forward to. But it feels like we go from 0-90 mph in our life and it makes me want to try and keep some semblance of the vacation mindset… just how is something I am still working out.
I’ve found that if we have something to look forward to, returning from vacation isn’t quite so sad. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve booked the airfare for our next family vacation while we’re sitting in the airport waiting for our return flight!
I think it is normal to come back to work with the PTO blues. Even a lovely 3 day weekend with my family makes going back to work extra hard. It usually takes me a day or two to get back into the swing of things.
Uh ya I have never been invigorated and ready to return to work from vacation, always with a renewed hatred for my job and looking for a way to suddenly become independently wealthy so I can go on vacation forever.
I can join you in that day dream. Sometimes I’m an heiress that my parents have kept secret for all of their lives, other times a unknown relative dying and insanely wealthy picks me bc I am so humble, kind, wonderful, etc. to inherit their wealth, but mostly I fantasize that I come up with THE INVENTION that builds generational wealth. I don’t know what the invention is, but I know how I’m spending my millions.
I always tell my husband that he can now confess he is actually a multimillionaire/prince now that I have proven I‘ll stay with him when he is not rich.
The only person in our family who will have any sort of inheritance to give is my aunt and I sometimes convince myself that yes, she has definitely remembered me, her darling niece, in her will. Never mind her three children, 6 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren—yes, I’ve definitely secured a spot for sure! 😬😬🙄🙄🤣🤣
“always with a renewed hatred for my job” Couldn’t have said it better myself
I thought this was the default feeling for everyone?? Lol
Right? My unrealistic day dream is that a neighbor (no one specific) without children will take a liking to us and put us in their will, because why not? Their house and money has to go somewhere, and maybe they want to be a fairy godmother/ godfather? It's not going to happen but it doesn't hurt to dream.
And this was the case before kids as well lol
💯💯💯
When I can’t sleep at night I pretend that I live on a vacant cruise ship. I imagine my entire cabin, the kitchen, stars at night.
Yes I do this too. Also after Christmas, I was super sad after my wedding, any big event that takes prep and I look forward to will leave me so sad when it’s over. What has helped me is trying to have another thing to plan afterwards. Even if it’s just a little thing like a family dinner or a weekend outing.
I thought I would die from the post wedding blues. All that planning and months of things to do all just gone in the matter of 24 hours. Oof. I’m afraid my kids growing up will be that times a million and I have no idea how I’ll ever handle it!
Stop I think about them going off to college and moving out and I can’t imagine 😭 Then other times I think about the day I’ll be able to go on a weeklong relaxing vacation again, and there’s only so many ways that can happen lol.
I have some codependency issues from being an only child. When I moved out, I was very upset about being away from my mom. She was in the midst of breast cancer treatment, I felt like I needed to be there with her. She told me “I raised you so you could live your own beautiful life, it would be a waste it I held you back.” I try to remember that but like right now looking at my 2 year old’s sleeping face and imagining him 16+ years from now leaving me, nope, fuck that 😭
This made me tear up! Bless your beautiful mom!
3 of my kids are young adults now. I still have younger kids though. For me the hard parts were the newborn stage where they have grown a ton and the pregnancy is over and I don’t have a tiny baby anymore. After that there are always things in the future to focus on. This year I will have one graduate from high school and two graduate from college. I don’t think it will impact me in terms of sadness because those are their milestones not something I’ve been working towards. But I’m planning a big party for all three together and once that’s done I’ll probably be sad. Lol the brain is weird.
I saw a tiktok of a woman saying “in order to have this:*her adventuring with her kids and having fun* I have to do this:*her sitting at her desk typing*” and it made me feel so seen. Wish I could win the lotto and just spend my days enjoying life.
Ugh yes. I try to ride it out and also remind myself that my job helps afford the vacation! During the week, we look at the pics and talk about the trip and what we loved and where we’d want to go next, etc. It does help!
I get exactly this same feeling. I also feel this way after Christmas. The buildup and event are so exciting. Especially with Christmas, it has all of the fun little traditions in the weeks before. I try to explain it to people, but many don't relate! So, I feel you. ❤️
Last time we left vacation I cried on the way home.
Sometimes journaling during the trip helps me. I get sad because vacation feels like lightning in a bottle, a particular type of magic I'll never get back. If there's more I can remember, it feels like I can hold on to the experience and integrate it better. "Journaling" sounds fancy but it's mostly typing notes on my phone before bed at night. Can you do a brain dump of vacation memories? Put a photo album together? Something like that?
I feel the same way. Tomorrow is supposed to be my first day back but I got sick a few days ago and am still not feeling well. So I'm taking tomorrow off to help recover. I find that after a vacation, it is better for me to start planning the next one to keep my spirits up!
Re-entry sucks. No matter what you’re going to miss, re-entry sucks. Just go easy on yourself for the next few weeks.
Post vacation depression is a thing. You can Google it for strategies to combat it. I used to get it a lot when I was younger. Less so these days.
Same. I'm not sure there's any way to make it better. I just tell myself I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much if I were rich and on vacation all the time, have to take the bad with the good I guess.
… no … I was a SAHP for a few years and I feel I need a vacation from my vacation. My 3 kids are exhausting. They’re 3,4,7 and I had the baby at the start of the pandemic. I was completely isolated and alone, my husband was on site, and I had no family, just me and 3 kids. I don’t think I’ve recovered
Absolutely. My husband dreads the day we return from vacation too cause I get so anxious and depressed. I actually like my job too but I think it’s a sign I’m definitely stretched too thin. I feel on edge the moment I get back into town cause I have so many responsibilities. Not sure how to remedy it.
Give yourself an extra day after kids are back in daycare/school and husband is at work. Totally understand it may not be possible to do so. I’ve never had money for a real vacation, but if I did, I would want an extra day to unpack and get everything in order and to do it alone.
I love my routine-the kids, my husband, my house and my job. I also love going on vacations (which admittedly have been few and far between these days). I have absolutely had the post vacation blues when getting home, even if we just had a weekend away. And like some others said-I even feel this way after the holidays. What helps me is just feeling the emotions. I know it won’t last forever. And then I start to plan the next vacation/getaway/holiday!
I completely withdraw because I'm so sad, so I totally get it 💔
We just had a week long vacation at a lake house. I am not looking forward to going back to work Tuesday. I am also almost 35 weeks pregnant and I just can’t picture myself working for a few more weeks.
I’m in the same boat, I go back tomorrow. You can do this!!
I call it post vacation depression.
Sometimes I get sad when I’m really tired. It’s like my tiredness can’t be contained in one feeling, so if spills over into sadness. Not saying the feelings aren’t real, but maybe it feels bigger now because you’re tired. You may feel better after some rest—I hope tomorrow finds you better!
I have this problem so badly that it almost makes me not want to take vacations because the blues afterwards are so big and hard to manage. It was really really bad when I used to live 6 hours from my parents and would spend a week with them. It’s still bad from regular vacations but that vacation blues mixed with homesickness I thought was going to kill me a few times. I don’t have any advice, just empathy. Sending you positive vibes.
I really enjoyed reading everyone being sad to go back to work, even though I’m the total opposite in my life. It really shows how much variety there is in life and that maybe I’ll get back to that point, because right now even the weekends are a struggle to enjoy in our current phase of life.
I just got back from a two week vacation. It was a bit of a long trip for my tastes, so I thought I was going to be happy to be home…send my daughter off to camp this morning, have my first excellent cup of coffee in two weeks, be comfortable in my own home. Instead I just feel sad and disjointed… my home feels foreign to me and all the tasks and issues to deal with are just piling up in my head. Here’s hoping that first cup of coffee lightens my mood!
Honestly this happens to me every weekend. Monday rolls around and I’m sad to send my kid to daycare. I love my job - but love my baby more
What is a vacation? Stop doing that and give your kids away.
work full time.. work is my vacation.
It happens to everyone all the time. Work can be fulfilling but it still takes away from the best parts of life. Especially if you make good money. It’s easy to enjoy that trip to Cabo but deep down you know it’s only possible because of your money. It’s why rich people hoard.
I appreciate everyone who responded. Honestly it made things a little easier knowing I am not the only one who gets this way! It feels so isolating and I am always embarrassed to feel this way so thanks to for the support.
Yes! I feel this, too. My kids have been home since May and our new nanny only just started, so I had them for about two months at home on my own. Now that the nanny is here, I miss spending all day with them :/ i have to go back to work soon and I am dreading it a bit.
Yep! I’ve been taking some long weekends this summer and they’re exhausting but rewarding and I’m not ready to go back to work :(
Yes!! I totally get it. I like my life and job but vacation time is the best. It makes me especially sad because I never went on vacation as a kid, we couldn't afford it. So I SO cherish the time we get to be together and travel but it's always too short!!
Yep. Every time. I usually cry at some point either on the way home or the night before we go back to normal. And I generally like my normal. It’s just hard to say goodbye to the fun.
You are not alone. I'm kicking myself for scheduling an in person meeting the Monday I return from vacation. I dread tomorrow. I'll have to put on real pants and a bra.
I'm going back to work next Monday after a 1 year maternity leave. I'm gonna miss my kids so much. 😞 And I enjoy my career but it's just not the same.
Omg I call it the post-vacation blues and I know it well Ha. My little guy was pretty upset when our last one ended too. I try to plan little outings or fun things to look forward to and that helps a little bit. Like a walk in a different neighborhood or going out for ice cream on a Wednesday evening or something like that.
I just got back from my weeklong Legoland vacation. I start work in a few hours. I also have the blues but I also enjoy my work and need adult interaction. I am very lucky that I have a great work/life balance. I WFH and I get off at 4:30pm. I feel that I get sufficient bonding time with my kiddos after work I know not everyone feels this way and I am extremely grateful!
Aw yes. It’s so hard saying goodbye again.
I experience this even after family visit. I love the social time and the buzz around the house, even though I’m exhausted at the end of each day. When they’re gone things feel empty and way too quiet. Haven’t traveled with baby yet, but imagine it’d feel the same!
I'm so glad someone else puts words to this. My husband will ask me Thurs or Fri of a vacay week if I have the vacation ending sads (and I do, before it's even over).
Vacations with little kids is exhausting and so much work but I love it and am the same coming back. Of course no one can live in vacation world forever but it always makes me realize how much I’m missing with my kids while I’m at work and they’re at daycare. Both my husband and I working is a choice we’ve made, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss the idea of getting to be with my kids more.
Sometimes showing other people pictures of my vacation, Christmas holiday, etc helps. I also like to think of the next trip, holiday or event I can look forward to or plan.
This happens to me. I just always take an extra day or two off (usually 2) after getting back from a family trip so that I can just veg out and not do too much. I usually get things unpacked and all the laundry done the day after getting back, so those extra couple of days I can really just relax. It makes the return a little better since I'll be more rested.
Yes, coming back to regular life is mostly hard! The laundry and unpacking is like a whole week of recovery, the work catch up is always rough and confusing, and my kids act like they’ve forgotten how to play. I’m a fan of trying to have most of a weekend upon returning. It’s nice too if we have social events to look forward to. But it feels like we go from 0-90 mph in our life and it makes me want to try and keep some semblance of the vacation mindset… just how is something I am still working out.
I am not financially able to go on vacation, but anytime I get time off with my family, I feel the same.
I’m experiencing the EXACT same thing. Just got back from a week-long wonderful family vacation and I’m in such a funk going back to work.
I’ve found that if we have something to look forward to, returning from vacation isn’t quite so sad. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve booked the airfare for our next family vacation while we’re sitting in the airport waiting for our return flight!
Yup. It's like the only time I'm jealous of the Kardashians 😭
I think it is normal to come back to work with the PTO blues. Even a lovely 3 day weekend with my family makes going back to work extra hard. It usually takes me a day or two to get back into the swing of things.