We’ve been doing a series of blog posts over the last few weeks on how to stay healthy and focused on your fitness goals while on vacation. We are in the middle of summer at the time we are writing this article and vacations are in full swing. Add to it that last year of COVID restrictions, and it seems like everyone is constantly away.
Vacations are Great, but Not For Our Routine
But, what do we do when we get back from vacation? We put tons of time and energy into achieving our goals the rest of the year. Then, we have strategies for going on vacation without sacrificing all of our progress. However, everyone knows that coming back from vacation can be a drag. We are out of our routine for a week usually. Wake up times were different, work schedules were nonexistent, and our diets were not as structured. We develop the attitude of, “I’ll just stay relaxed for a couple more days,” or “I’ll get back on my routine next week because I want to feel like I’m still on vacation a little longer.” Unfortunately, this attitude ends up destroying our routine and we can spiral downward getting further and further away from the progress we were making.
How to Get Back on Your Routine
So, how do we get back on our routine? How do we fight the urge to stay on vacation time?
For starters, think about getting back on your routine like you did when you started your routine. For help with starting a routine, check out this post.
- Write Down Your Routine Before You Go: Routines, by their nature, don’t require you to write them down every day or set constant reminders. However, after a week away from our routine, it can seem impossible to remember what you did before you left. So, write out your routine before you go. That way, when you return, you have it laid out in front of you.
- Start Small: If you think you will struggle to get back on your full routine, start small. Maybe you simply reestablish your wakeup time. Instead of worrying about three healthy meals a day when you get back, focus on breakfast only.
- Set Reminders: One element needed for forming a habit is a reminder. The same goes for your routine. Don’t be afraid to throw an alert on your phone calendar to remind you.
- Tell Someone: We underestimate the power of accountability. We will let ourselves down, but we hate to let down other people. So, when you get back from vacation, tell a friend or spouse that you need to get back on your routine and what that looks like. They can help.
Whatever you do, remember that vacation isn’t a reason to throw everything away. Vacation is a time to relax. However, it isn’t a reality. You have goals in your life. You’ve developed a routine to reach those goals. Those goals aren’t going anywhere. Don’t be too hard on yourself, but stay focused and use the strategy above to get back on track when you return to reality.
