4 Ways to Fight It!
This week, I’m writing my newsletter as I fly back from the US to Taiwan. This trip to the States has been one of my absolute best, having been filled with tons of rest, way more indulging than I probably should have done, and really valuable time connecting with family! After a trip “home” it always takes me a good few weeks to reacclimatize to being in Taipei. Not only does my body feel like it’s in a different time zone , but my heart and head feel left in a different one as well.
Having made the trip between my two homes so many times over the years, I’m always trying to find ways to make the transition back to reality a little smoother. Whether you are coming back from a long vacation, looking at the end of summer in the not-so-distant future, or just going back to work on Monday after a great weekend, returning to “real life” can be difficult. And so, I thought I’d share with you some of the reminders I have for myself to fight that post-holiday emotional jet lag!
1. Keep busy, but don’t do too much.
I tend to come back from vacation with a huge to-do list. I’m feeling motivated to hit the ground running and don’t want to let anything stop me. Fast forward to a few days after the holiday, and I’m overwhelmed by how much I’ve put on my plate and exhausted from overdoing it. Too much free time works the same way for me. I’ll obsess over what I miss from my vacation and whether what I’m doing in my “real life” is really what I should be doing. Being especially mindful to keep a work life balance in those few key days back helps a ton!
2. Fit in time for something you love.
Prioritize a visit with friends to share vacation stories with, take time to take a fitness class, try to make a recipe for something yummy you ate on holiday. Sticking to things you know consistently bring you joy can remind you of all the good things you’ve already got going for yourself in your day to day life.
3. Rest like you are on holiday.
While you can’t necessarily nap away the afternoon like you did on vacation, making sure you get enough sleep can help you feel more able to tackle the challenges of everyday life and less moody when those “back to reality” blues hit. Opting to put down my phone earlier to go to sleep instead of mindlessly scrolling and coming across others’ beach holiday photos on social media is especially helpful!
4. Be patient.
Realizing that I won’t be able to tackle every work project or be back in pre-vacation shape immediately means I can try to be a little easy on myself. Yes, I enjoyed every minute away from my phone, every sip of wine and every bite of ice cream and Kringle (thanks, Wisconsin fam). No, I won’t be exactly where I left off before I went away. It will take time, like it always does.
What post- holiday tricks do you have to get you back on your game ? Whatever your ways are, I hope making it to a Zumba or Fit + Flaunt class can help you bring some joy into your everyday routines!
Keep moving!
xx,
Katie
讓舞蹈來照顧你的心理健康
這週的電子報是我在從美國回台灣的飛機上寫的，這一次的返家之旅絕對是數一數二的，有足夠的休息、飲食上大量的放縱、和許多非常有珍貴的家庭時光。每當從「家」回來後，我都要花上好幾週的時間來重新適應台北的生活，不光是我的身體感受到不同的時區，我的內心也感受到深刻地不同。
因為多年往返在兩個家之間的往返，我總試著找到一個可以更順利幫我回到現實生活中的方法。不論是你從一個長假中回來、看著夏天的尾巴即將到來、或是在一個精彩豐富的周末過後的那個星期一，回到現實生活中可以是很困難的，所以呢~ 我想和大家分享當面對這樣假期後的情緒時差，一些我常給自己的提醒。
1.保持忙碌但是不要太過頭
我常常會在收假的時候給自己列了一大張代辦清單，然後興致滿滿地承諾自己無論如何我都要完成清單上的事，然後幾天過去了，我就發現自己已經被這個大清單壓得喘不過氣；反之，如果我有太多時間的話，我就會開始一直想著我最想念假期的哪一個部分，或是開始懷疑自己「真實生活」中的決定。我發現在收假的前幾天，有意識的保持工作與生活的平衡是很大的關鍵。
2.安排時間做一些你愛的事情
優先安排和好友一起吃飯分享旅途趣事、去上一堂健身課、或是嘗試做一道在假期中吃到很好吃的菜的食譜，做一些你知道一定會讓你開心的事，這樣可以幫助你記得並感激在「真實生活」你現在所擁有的。
3.像是在放假般的休息
雖然你不能像假日一樣睡一整個下午，但是足夠的睡眠可以幫助你有能力戰勝每天的挑戰，也比較不會情緒化，選擇放下手機早點上床睡覺，絕對比無意識地滑著手機、看著別人在社交媒體上放的假日海灘照片還有幫助。
4. 有耐心
了解我不會馬上就恢復能力或是身材，這就表示我可以不用對自己那樣嚴厲。沒錯，我享受我沒有用手機的每一分鐘，每一口酒和冰淇淋和Kringle(感謝威斯康辛的家人) 沒錯，我的心境和去之前不太一樣了。它只需要時間，就像所有的事情一樣！
你有沒有什麼絕招來幫你收心呢？不論你的招數是什麼，我希望參加Zumba 或是Fit + Flaunt的課程能幫助你在每天日常作息中帶來一些小確幸~
繼續前進！
愛你的 Katie
( Anna Liang 譯 )