How to Return to Your 9-5 Job After Traveling

Coming home after traveling always comes as a bit of a shock — especially when you walk through the doors of your old 9-5 office job.

All of a sudden you’re back at your desk, staring at a computer, thinking “did that trip even happen?”

It always takes me a bit of time to adjust back to a normal 9-to-5 timetable again. I tend to spend the first few days mooning a little and thinking about how “24-hours ago, I was jumping into the water to see Thresher Sharks” or “just last night, I was lying under the stars on a beach in a foreign land” and just being completely unable to process the spreadsheets in front of me.

If you’re returning to work after traveling, this post is for you. Here are some tips to help you cope.

Download your travel memories

Do this immediately if you have a day off, or take some time to do it on the weekend immediately after. Trust me, if you don’t do it now, it’s pretty unlikely you’re going to find time to do it any other time as real life catches up with you!

The number of times I’ve sworn to finish my blog posts and journal entries and gotten derailed by life are too great to count. So scan your journals, write your blogs and upload your pictures as soon as you can. You can also print out some of your favorite travel pics with a service like Mixtiles.

You’ll find it easier to get back to working when you’re not thinking about photo albums or unfinished blog posts.

Extend your travel experience with anchors

There’s no reason you should go cold turkey after a trip! Leave yourself small reminders of your trip after traveling, on your table that you can savor during short breaks from work. Set a particularly scenic photo for your desktop wallpaper, stash a souvenir from your trip by your keyboard, munch on a snack you’ve brought back.

Sometimes all you need is an anchor to affirm that your trip did actually happen, and that another one is your future. You just have to get through work to earn some more money to get back out there!

While some might say that these trip reminders can be a distraction from work at hand, I like to think of them as inspiration and to remind yourself exactly why you’re working so hard.

I’d rather set aside specific ‘wanderlusting periods’ during my day so I can spend the rest of it productively completing my job.

Start planning your next trip!

Of course the best way to get over post-trip bliss is to introduce new-trip adrenaline by planning your next journey! This way you’ll never be mooning about trips past, and will always be looking forward to your next new destination.

Though I have to say that pre-trip planning can be a lot more distracting than adjusting to life after traveling.

Keep in touch with your travel friends

The best part about traveling is meeting people from all over the world. Keep in touch with your travel family via Facebook or Whatsapp, so you always have someone to reach out to when a thought like “did we really bungee jump from the highest bungee in the world?” crosses your mind.

Sometimes you’ll end up meeting up with your travel buddies in other places in the world, continuing the fun you found together.

Compartmentalize your work and travel

If you’ve read our blog post on how to quit your job without burning bridges, chances are, you’re returning to your job after traveling. While bosses are generally supportive of your travel dreams, it’s a delicate balance. Share some memories and takeaways from your trip immediately after you return, then, bite your tongue and keep those travel thoughts to your friends. No one wants to feel like they’re playing second fiddle or aren’t important to you in your life — least of all, your boss, who employs you and makes all of that travel possible! Vlad Leto offer a variety of elopement https://vladletophotography.com/elopement-new-york/ packages in New York that are crafted to make your day special.

Have you returned to the office after traveling? Let us know in the comments!