It is a truth universally acknowledged that the Sunday Scaries hit hardest on the last day of a fabulous trip. Even when I’ve had my fun and I’m objectively ready to come home, I dread my domestic obligations: readjusting routines, returning to work, and answering those blasted emails. Fighting to get back to inbox zero after the weekend is a battle—but after a week away, where I pretended I was beholden to no master but myself? Forget about it.
That said, all good things come to an end, and the recurring challenge of re-entry is a natural part of any traveler’s life. As a millennial raised in the Church of Optimization, I must ask: How can I minimize the stress and anxiety I feel when returning from a trip or a vacation?
“We don’t necessarily need to hack this inevitable part of life,” says Liz Graham, a Brooklyn-based therapist with a background in nervous system science and psychology. We spoke over Zoom about our culture’s incessant need to “hack and heal” anything that feels mildly uncomfortable in our daily lives. Graham suggests befriending that feeling of anxiety, however mild or severe, and parsing its roots. For my part, I recall all the times where I felt anxious about returning from a vacation and, in hindsight, realized it was because my work situation looked down upon employees taking time off. There were instances, too, where I so enjoyed myself on a trip, exploring new passions and interests, that I dreaded coming home because I didn’t yet have access to those personal outlets where I live in New York City.
Then there are just the discomforts of changing gears—but it can help to anticipate those feelings and get resourceful. “If it’s giving yourself a day to transition, book your return flight on a Saturday,” Graham says. “If it’s making some tea and checking your email sometime Sunday evening, set a time limit to do that and stick to it.” Discover and study what works for you, and you can learn to ease your “vacation Sunday Scaries” without taking on the impossible task of eliminating them entirely.
To get an an idea of tactics I could use to manage that post-travel transition back into “real life,” I spoke to a swathe of super travelers—avid vacationers, folks who travel for work, and people who do both—and asked what they do to make coming home feel good.
Prioritize rest toward the end of the trip
Another name for the bummed-out feeling at the end of a vacation could be “the last day lows,” as Katy Nastro, the spokesperson for the travel brand Going, likes to call them. To give herself a boost, she says, “I structure my trip so the final day—or final days—are as relaxing as possible, and I might splurge on a nicer hotel for the very end of the trip to ensure I sleep like a baby before a long flight.” She also treats herself to an upgraded return flight to optimize opportunities for rest: “A better seat with more legroom in economy counts!”
“To maximize sleep on the plane, I eat at the airport or before heading to the airport,” says Andy Dwyer, who works at an embassy in New Delhi and regularly travels through South and Southeast Asia for work and leisure. Flying in business or first class could be a chance to indulge, if time permits. But when Dwyer needs to hit the ground running at the office upon his return, he forgoes the Champagne and three-course meals to prioritize sleep in a lie-flat seat.
Return home a day early, if you can
Give yourself some room to ease back into your home and work life by returning a day or two before you have to go back to your regular routine. Even an afternoon will suffice. “I try to get home midday Sunday whenever possible,” says Millie Tran, the vice president of content strategy and growth at Condé Nast [editor's note: Condé Nast Traveler is part of Condé Nast]. “Those few hours let me relax, have dinner at home, and not feel like I’m just jumping from one thing to the next.”
Additional advantage: Flying home early could even save you money. Nastro says flight prices are typically cheaper on Saturdays because airlines know most tourists will want to fly home on a Sunday, or on the last day of a long holiday weekend.
That said, if you can’t give yourself that buffer time at home, try easing back into your routine a few days before your trip ends. Victoria M. Walker, a travel journalist, and curator of the newsletter Travel With Vikkie, suggests slowly adjusting your sleep schedule to your “home clock,” if you’ve changed time zones, to mitigate jet lag.
Prepare a meal plan
It’s daunting to return to an empty kitchen, so develop a game plan for what you’re going to eat when you come home, whether by ordering in or by doing meal prep before your trip. Tran says, “I’ve just resorted to having an order Thai takeout ritual on the way home, so it’s there waiting for me once I’m home. I’ve almost perfected the timing!” Walker is also in the order-in camp and has groceries delivered too, prioritizing fruits and vegetables to combat sluggish post-trip feelings.
On the other hand, Kurt Fulepp, the president of digital at AccuWeather and an avid vacationer, swears by a pre-prepared meal. “The last thing I want to do is eat out again,” he says. “Right now, I’m returning from ten days away and all I’m craving is something basic, like a salad and some chicken or fish.”
Similarly, Jada Yuan, a writer for the Washington Post and formerly the 52 Places Traveler for the New York Times, says, “I find it really stressful to have to order expensive take-out on my first night back home, or even think about grocery shopping.” Instead, before leaving on a trip, Yuan preps something easy to heat up, “whether it’s a meal I froze ahead of time or those lentils in a pouch from Trader Joe’s.”
Unpack your baggage ASAP
It takes a little extra willpower after a long travel day, but it really helps to unpack as soon as you get home. Fulepp says, “No matter what time I get in—whether from a red-eye or if I walk through the door at midnight—I fully unpack my suitcase and ensure it’s stored away.” Dwyer does the same and says that unpacking grounds him back in the domestic space of his home; putting clothes in the laundry basket, for example, helps him better understand the necessary chores for the following week.
Yuan echoes the sentiment, and goes an extra step for planning future travel: “I love throwing the dirty laundry in the hamper, putting everything away,” she says, “but especially refilling my travel-sized toiletries or replacing my travel toothpaste with another mini-tube from my endless stash.” The refilling is a relaxing ritual of sorts that rewards a future self. Yuan keeps travel go-kits, with TSA-approved bottles of everything she needs, ready to be packed into a suitcase at a moment’s notice. “It just makes me feel settled to know I’ll be all set for the next adventure.”
Fill up your calendar with activities whether social or solo
It can be jarring to shift gears from the thrill of travel to the routines of home life—but reengaging with the things you enjoy about being home right when you return can help, says Chris Dong, a freelance travel writer: “I like to arrange some social plans for the week ahead, like dinner with friends. I want to be intentional with who I see and what I do, and make the most of my time at home. That even includes arranging dates in advance!”
This tactic also works as an emotional salve. Dwyer says, “The day before I come home, I text my friends, being like, ‘Hi, I’m back on Tuesday. What’s the rest of your week look like? Let’s get coffee.’ So that the week I’m back isn’t just about catching up on work. It can be about catching up on life and friendships too.”
If you’re not feeling too social, Yuan says, “I find that planning out the TV I want to binge when home can also fill that need. It’s about having that same sense of anticipation I get from planning out my days on a trip.”
Personally, I always change my tune about coming home when I tell myself that I get to play video games on my PlayStation 5 in my living room. Whatever works.
Do some housekeeping (or get someone to do it)
This seems so simple, but it bears repeating: Coming home to a clean apartment or house makes a world of difference. All the travelers I spoke to agreed on this point. Tran always makes sure to clean and take out the trash before heading to the airport; Walker clears out her fridge ahead of a long trip; Yuan gives away her perishables to friends and neighbors to avoid food waste.
“I also found a wonderful, affordable house cleaner,” Yuan says. “Lately, I’ve been asking her to come in a few days before I return to make sure the bathroom and kitchen are tidy.” Fulepp also relies on a housekeeper to clean the house, stock the kitchen, and do meal prep before he and his husband come home from a trip, ensuring that their meals for the next few days are ready to simply heat and eat as they ease back into their home routines.
Plan the next trip—and embrace coming home
Universally, the one tip everyone gave me was: “Plan the next trip!” I think the appeal of a vacation—or any kind of travel, really—is the idea that there’s something to look forward to, a forthcoming reprieve from the business (and pleasure) of building a life in one place. Part of travel’s thrill is breaking a pattern, exploring the new or trying on a different routine, perhaps even another version of yourself.
“The framework of ‘vacation life’ versus ‘regular life’ pitted against each other sets us up for a tough return,” Graham says. “Instead, can exciting vacations and predictable routines both be valuable parts of life? Let yourself savor what you had on vacation, complete the experience, and reorient to what's next.”
