A guide: Getting back to it after a break

Whether you took time out for a break, had a holiday, or something took you away from your daily life. There will come a point in time where you will need to get back into the groove, whether it’s finding a new routine/normal, or getting back into your old one. So here is a mini guide to getting back to it, after a break.

I have just come back (a month ago) from 2.5 weeks away. Before I left, I tried to leave this blog and the accompanying social media accounts, set up so then I didn’t have to be editing content, or writing posts on my time away. This trip, like most busy trips, left me drained socially, physically and mentally. So, the first thing I did, before going on the trip, was book the day after my arrival, off work. So, with that foundation laid here is the guide.

Look at that healthy holiday glow!

Yeah, I didn’t look like that when I got back haha.

1.      Don’t overcrowd the day

The day before you start back into the routine is meant to help you recover some of your energy. If you use it to be busy and active, all you do is keep your energy levels low for when you need to get back into the routine. So, keep the day light.

-          Do some light cleaning: Such as your dishes and making sure the floor is clear. This means you will have a sufficient reset of your space, to get back into the routine. And a little tidy is a good way to refresh your mind, seeing clutter can be overstimulating.

-          Go outside: You need to see the light of day, even if its raining. This gets you hit with fresh air, gets your body moving, and if you need to do some quick errands, you can stack with this activity.

2.      Reduce your mental load

Coming back to reality and normality can be mentally overwhelming. So having a mini reset will make it easier to adjust to the new routines of normality.

-          Meal prep: Do the easiest meal you know. My go to is always a chicken dish, with a one pot rice and veg, packed with as many veggies as possible, so I it feels healthy. This means I will always have a meal ready for at least lunchtime at work, because I don’t have the capacity to prepare my finances for spending on lunches.

-          Laundry: Sadly, having clean clothes in the wardrobe ready for the rest of the week ahead, will really help with the mental load. Imagine having to do a rush wash mid-week? It’s gross right. And it’s not just that; there will be the drying phase and then possibly ironing too.

3.      Nourish yourself

-          Eat: Notice I didn’t say eat well but just eat. Obviously, the meal prep meals will be healthier, but they are for the future. In the meantime, of recovering and getting ready to go back into normality, you just need fuel to maintain the basic brain function of handling the day. Smaller, slightly less nutritious meals might be beneficial. Tea and bread with your favourite spread. A bowl of noodles, and even a filling take-out. Any food is better to fuel you, than starving yourself, especially if your previous routine/normality was quite active.

-          Switch off your brain: You can get the Sunday scaries on any day as long as it’s the day before going back to normality. So, use the day before as a way to switch off. Watch tv and relax knowing that there is the basics to survive the week. Clean clothes, meals prepped and you have eaten for the day. The minimum is done, and that is enough.

Conclusion

As the time progresses you can gradually add others to your normality, to get back to a routine that works for you. For example, the first week back from my trip, I slowly created content such as this post. I did not go back to the gym, but I walked every day, and attended the one exercise class that I had booked that week. I kept my evenings light, because my brain and body were all over the place with anxiety of going back to work, and the detachment from my own reality. At the end of the week, I made plans to see friends, so I could get comfortable being around my people again. Lastly, I did pamper myself, by getting my nails done and a facial, because why not. Plus, it was a good way to get me outside and easing me back into my normal society.

This post has come out 1 month after I came back. I wrote it with the intent to post on that first week, but I was overwhelmed. And like always, the blog gets hit first. Now 4 weeks back after getting the flu, I am reasonably back to my routine. So, posting this made more sense now. I still did all the above on the first week, and each week I have added something from my old routine, to get back into it. I have now been back at the gym, I went to a pole class, and I have been trying to get 8 hours sleep each night.

TL;DR

-          Don’t overcrowd the day

-          Reduce your mental load

-          Nourish yourself