…So as I shared yesterday in my blog post, I was away for a few days. We left Thursday night for North Carolina and returned Tuesday. So what is that… gone for 4 whole days? It was lovely, but a part of being gone for that length of time is coming back to the “life” that you left…
…Often when we go away other things are put on hold or are left behind. We cannot check email as often. We may not get great cell service. Sometimes when we are out of town we do not exercise as much. We might eat foods that aren’t the healthiest. Or we could stay up late, just enjoying ourselves. Our patterns get a bit off-kilter…
…I know for me, with this recent trip, it was partly that and partly the re-entrance to my life. So by accident I scheduled a meeting at work on Tuesday. So Drew and I had to wake up at 5:30 am to leave by 6. We had to make the 6-7 hour drive so I could get home by 2:30 pm and could be at work by 3. ”Why not change the meeting?” you might be asking… Well, it is a meeting I was running and it had 4 other people in it. Four other people who are very hard to get into one room at one time… so we had to keep the day and time!…
…So we raced into town, unloaded the entire car, and then… had to unpack and put away
everything! Why? We had a house showing for a man who was coming to see our home for the 4th time! We couldn’t say “No” to him as he was flying his mom into town just to see our house… well, we could have- but that is a whole other blog post, hee hee. So Drew and I had to throw all of our belongings back to where they go, do the laundry, vacuum, and organize the house. Then I had to rush into work and lead the meeting…
…Only to come home to make dinner, get out of the house for the man to come see it, host my 6 week group program class, and then make final edits to my book! Oh my!! Talk about being thrown right back into the thick of it all. So this is what is leading me to write today… instead of doing what I did in an abrupt, startled, and sudden fashion… taking time to settle back into the routine…
…When returning from a trip, we should be gentle on ourselves. Ensure that we do not overdo it and put so much on our calendar when we return. Yes, we might be someone who can do 4 things in a row -on a usual day. But when we are getting back from time away, we should be easy on ourselves and maybe only put 1-2 things on that first day back’s calendar. I know this may be hard and you might be saying “Is she crazy! Life goes on…” And you are right- it does…
…But if we are going to take care of ourselves in a balanced and holistic way, part of that entails settling in slowly to our routine. Instead of shocking ourselves back into reality, take the time to ease in as if you were getting into a hot bath. Take your time, go slow, and relax. I know, I know… where was this advice for my own self? Why am I not ”walking my talk”? Well, lessons learned…
…As I look to this week and this past vacation, I have learned from it. Each thing we do can be an experience that teaches us. Each part of our life can be something we grow and change from. So this past week I reflected upon my experiences. I looked at what I did to myself. And instead of judging or stressing… I am learning. I am witnessing. I am realizing. I know how to come back to the next time…
…The final thought I do want to leave you with is the routine while away from the routine. 
I started out the post sharing some ways we may get off track while we are on a trip. What I encourage is to see if you can keep up your healthy habits while you are on vacation. Even though you are on a break from your life… can you continue to perform your self-care rituals while away from home? I know I bought the supplies and made the smoothies each day. I kept up with my daily meditation practice in the morning. I went to bed at my usual hour. I did Yoga on the beach… So, can you keep some of your well-being techniques on hand… even when away from home?…
How do you get back into your routine? What sorts of healthy things do you keep up with while away? Any other words of wisdom to add to these reflections on self-care?
