Post-Vacation Blues: Why You Feel Sad After Travelling (And How to Feel Better)

Jan 7
3 min read

A few years ago, while on my first international trip, a friend said to me, “Don’t be surprised if you feel extremely sad, or even slightly depressed, when you get home.”I didn’t get it. In fact, I refused to accept that after spending two wonderful weeks in my favourite city, London, I’d feel anything but happy. But my friend was right. What I later learned is that what many of us experience is often called the post-travel blues, and it’s far more common than we realise. Here are five reasons why you might feel sad or low after returning from a trip.

1. Reality Hits Hard

You may absolutely love your home, but for two weeks, you stayed in a hotel. You didn’t clean, do laundry, or decide what to make for supper. Now you’re suddenly back to cooking, cleaning, making your bed, and managing everyday responsibilities. This abrupt shift can feel overwhelming and may lead to a low mood or feelings of sadness.

Psychologists note that returning to routine after a period of freedom and novelty can feel emotionally jarring, especially when the contrast is sudden.

2. Feeling Safe, and Then Not

This one is personal for me. Living in a country with a high crime rate can keep you in a constant state of tension, even if you don’t consciously realise it. While crime exists everywhere, I’ve visited places where I felt safer, more relaxed, and less on edge, often because of visible security, stronger policing, and a sense that rules were widely respected.

Feeling safe allowed me to sleep better and fully relax. When that feeling disappears, your body notices. Research shows that perceived safety directly affects stress levels and overall well-being.

3. The Adrenaline Drop

Planning a holiday is exciting. Anticipation builds, adrenaline rises, and when you finally arrive, everything peaks: the sights, the activities, the emotions. Once you return home, that stimulation drops sharply as you re-enter routine life. This sudden decrease in excitement can leave you feeling flat or unmotivated.

According to behavioural psychologists, our brains respond strongly to novelty, and when it’s removed, a temporary emotional dip can follow.

4. Always Having Something to Look Forward To

On holiday, you usually have a plan every day, an itinerary, reservations, and experiences waiting for you. There’s always something to anticipate. When you return home and fall back into routine, especially if your social calendar is quiet, it can feel as if nothing exciting lies ahead.

Studies show that anticipation itself plays a significant role in happiness, sometimes even more than the experience.

5. How You Show Up for Yourself

On holiday, you dress up. You do your hair. You wear makeup. You feel good, I know I do. At home, it’s not always the same. Maybe you wear a uniform, work remotely, or don’t feel the need to “get ready” each day. That shift can subtly affect your confidence and mood.

Self-expression through clothing and grooming has been linked to improved mood and self-esteem, even in small ways.

How to Ease Back Into Everyday Life

Here are a few gentle ways to soften the transition:

Prepare your home before you leave. Come back to a clean space, and stock your freezer with a few easy meals so cooking isn’t your first task.
Limit the news you watch at first. Jumping straight back into heavy headlines can trigger anxiety and undo that sense of calm.
Plan something to look forward to. A coffee date, printing your favourite travel photos, or booking a massage (especially after walking 10,000 steps a day) can really help.
Wear the outfit. Don’t save feeling good for holidays. Have an OOTD day once a week, do your hair, wear makeup if you enjoy it, and let a colleague or friend take a photo.
Always have something to look forward to. This is a rule I’ve lived by since that first trip. No matter how small, anticipation can lift your mood more than you realise.