An Easy On-Ramp Back to Real Life After Vacation (No Reset Required)
Okay. So went on vacation - you slept in, ate ALL the good food that you didn’t have to cook or clean up after, probably didn’t track your food, probably took a break from your normal workout plan, and just took it all in.
And now you’re coming home.
And you didn’t think about it until the moment you walked in the door and the kids started asking “what’s for dinner” - but there is nothing for dinner. There is also about 4 loads of laundry to do, kids start school up tomorrow, and you have an inbox full of emails…and it all just feels overwhelming - like all the relaxation of the past week has just been undone the moment you get back into the house.
And while MOST people put so much planning into the vacation (which is understandable…), they are also NOT really thinking about their RETURN from vacation - which can make things feel really stressful. This is something I talk to ALL my clients about when they say they are going on vacation.
We talk about what they adjusted goals are for when they are away - but then I also ask “okay - and what are you doing to set yourself up for when you come home?”
Best part is: it doesn’t take much effort to make the return smoother, but it does take some foresight. So - let’s break down what might make it a little easier for you!
First, let’s normalize something.
The rocky-road coming back from vacation when you just want to order take-out isn’t really about nutrition choices, or about decision fatigue or even about what is “easier”…but it’s about walking in the house to an empty fridge. It’s about coming back home knowing that there are suitcases full of dirty clothes waiting for you to start the laundry, and a brain that is a bit in denial that vacation is over when it feels like you are already ready for another one again.
So when everything feels chaotic 10 minutes after you walk in the door - your “healthy habits” don’t really stand a chance. So instead of trying to rely on motivation to somehow just kick back in when you get home - we are going to prepare for your future self before you even leave for vacation with just a few easy steps.
Here’s what I recommend (it’s what I do…and what most of my clients now do too):
Order grocery delivery for the day you return — or the next morning. Nothing fancy. Just the basics. Protein. Produce. A few easy carbs. Coffee. Water. Something for breakfast. You do not need to walk into a packed grocery store 12 hours after a travel day. That is not a personality test.
Second — have 2–3 freezer meals ready. This could be:
Frozen protein + microwave rice
A pre-made soup
Frozen veggies + chicken sausage
A pre-made casserole or frozen meal that is just a heat & eat situation
You get the idea - the goal is not gourmet. The goal is to have something easy, quick & that requires little effort and little clean-up, because when dinner is simple, you don’t spiral into takeout + regret + Monday reset mode.
Let’s talk workouts.
WAIT - DON’T SKIP THIS! I PROMISE THIS ISN’T GOING TO BE SOME WILD TAKE LIKE “JUST GET BACK TO IT”….but it can just look like: before you leave - or maybe just before you get home…map out what that first week back will look like. Just answer:
When will I realistically move my body?
What days make sense?
You don’t need to PR the day after vacation. I actually often recommend taking that first full day back from vacation OFF from working out - and instead do the things that will make you feel a bit more caught up - maybe getting the laundry done, prepping some food, cleaning up, mapping out the week of work, etc.
And when you DO get to your workouts on day 2…you don’t even need to follow your exact program - but re-establishing some kind of rhythm will help you feel better than just putting it on pause for a week. So - this might mean instead of 5 workouts, you are hitting 2-3, but focusing on steps. Or…doing 3-4 workouts but they are a little shorter than normal. Planning them out - with adjusted expectations can help you find those patterns again and maybe help you feel really good about coming back.
If you belong to a gym or attend group fitness classes - this can be a great week to pre-schedule these, signing up for group fitness classes can be a great way to hold yourself accountable (especially if they have a cancellation policy). Even if that’s not your normal exercise routine - just MOVING like that can be helpful.
By setting yourself up like this BEFORE the stress overwhelms you - this is behavior change in action.
You’re removing friction before it hits. You’re lowering the activation energy required to get back into routine. You’re protecting your habits from the most predictable obstacle: re-entry chaos.
We often think discipline means reacting well in the moment. But in my opinion - the REAL dial mover with this is taking a moment to plan ahead so that you aren’t RELYING on discipline as much - and instead - feeling like you have been set up for success by the pre-vacation version of you.
A few tiny things that go a long way:
Right when you get home - just put one load in the washer - doesn’t matter if it makes it to the dryer right when the cycle ends - but just start the process.
Fill your water bottle and leave it on the counter because we KNOW that after a day of travel your little cactus self is gonna need to focus on hydration.
Open your calendar and mentally walk through the week - don’t over commit - just look at what is coming up.
None of this is dramatic, and that’s really the point. Because it’s not vacation that throws you off track - but it’s the blind re-entry back home that makes you feel like you are just running straight into the unknown and are hit with a brick wall at the same time.
So we make the return boring. Predictable. Supported. No punishment. No detox. No "starting over Monday." Just a gentle, compassionate, and intentional re-entry. And if you’re someone who consistently struggles with that transition? That’s something we can work on together to help you build systems that will help you feel supported. With different levels of coaching support - or even just a coaching roadmap call (one off call to set you up with 3 months of roadmap recommendations towards your goals (and this can INCLUDE planning for vacations/returns/parties/etc) - just click below and let’s chat!