How do I hold on to the ‘holiday feeling’ when I am catapulted back into the real world?
I have just returned from a week long holiday in Goa, on a yoga retreat, where I felt the most present, peaceful and calm that I think I have ever felt in my life. It is a feeling I crave in the hustle and bustle of the modern world and as I return to normality, I feel a familiar challenge emerging…
How do I hold on to the ‘holiday feeling’ when I am catapulted back into the real world?
I can feel myself grasping and clinging to the deliciousness of this post holiday bliss!
During my week-long break, I totally disconnected from my phone - no emails, no social media and not even Whatsapps! I met some beautiful people and had some gorgeous conversations but I also had a lot of space to reconnect with myself - my light, my truth, my soul!
This obviously took a bit of upfront planning.
To really disengage from the outside world - setting out of office responses, letting my clients and community know that I was out of action and giving my friends and fam the heads up that they were not going to hear from me for a while. I took my time setting expectations with the people I care about and I am in service of.
This up front planning gave me permission to really INDULGE in my time in India. Life was simple. I meditated each morning, I did 2 x yoga classes per day, I swam in the sea, walked on the beach, read my book, had massages and indulged in some deep, gorgeous conversations with the beautiful souls I met.
Day by day I became more and more relaxed and the indicators of presence and contentment emerged:
The swirling thoughts in my brain settled
I stopped biting my nails
The habitual urge to reach for my phone subsided
My mind became less dominant as I become more connected with my senses and feeling the present moment
My sense of gratitude amplified
I moved around slower
It happened slowly…like an unfurling…until by the end of the holiday I felt like I was floating from my yoga shala to the breakfast table to the beach…
And then I landed back into life!!!
Lucky for me, my transition back to life on the lovely island of Mallorca was somewhat different to my pals who were being catapulted back into London life. But nonetheless, the transition created a big assault on my nervous system:
A flurry of (thoughtful & caring) messages asking about my holiday and suggesting dates to meet up
Being thrust back into the re-launch of our Radiant Leadership network and immediately becoming aware of everything that needs to be done over the next couple of weeks
A reintroduction to social media - the barrage of world news, people’s lives and a whole lot of thoughts & opinions
After two days…I could feel a sense of overwhelm creeping in and so I took a gentle step back to have a look at myself. I had to be intentional about this transition unless I wanted to undo all of the beautiful benefits I had gleaned from my trip away.
And so…here are some of my reflections for maintaining some semblance of easeful and joyful transition when returning from hols.
1. Accept that you are not going to ‘Hold on to the holiday feeling.’
The idea of feeling as calm as you do when on holidays is an unattainable goal. The grasping is not helpful…and can leave you feeling like you’re failing. Life is full and messy and complicated and beautiful! It is filled with real life challenges, inter-relationality and some inevitable stress. So let go of this idea. Plan holidays thoughtfully and intentionally - what do you need from your holiday and what boundaries can you set to make sure you get what you need from your hols? And then when you return let go. Embracing an acceptance for the ebbs and flows of life will serve you so much better than clinging to the desire for 24/7 bliss and peace!
2. Find ‘daily holidays’.
This sense of calm and connection to myself that results in so much inner peace and clarity is not only something that I cherish but it is something that is so vital for my mental health and the success of my business! And I cannot afford to wait for a yoga retreat to top myself up like that. So carving out time EVERY DAY for a mini holiday is essential. Your intentions and desires might be different from mine but in order for me to get my mini daily holiday I am committed to a few simple things: 1. Morning devotion - to connect to myself before I let the world in. 2. Periods of phone free time during my day - to disconnect from the world. 3. Something joyful every day - to help me feel like I am not living my life waiting for my next hol but am luxuriating in the joy of every day,
3. Be really mindful of the transition and ease yourself back.
It is really tempting the week after hols to jam pack your diary and ‘make up for the time you were away’. Hmmmm…I see this so often with my high flying leaders…but it completely unravels the amazing benefits of a holiday! So…be very intentional with your time post holiday - go light with the meetings and social engagements, see if maybe you can hold off social media for a week, avoid rushing into the city / places where there is a lot of hustle type energy, take your time replying to messages. For me, for example…I had one team meeting on the Tuesday after I was back and that was my only meeting for the week! Monday I spent deciding what was most important for me and my work and then Tuesday I invited in the opinion of my team and caught up on progress. I also cut my client sessions in half. And instead of catching up with family / friends for dinner out, I invited a couple of my closest friends to my house for gentle reconnection and catch ups.
As always, the power in all of this is in the self awareness and the willingness to pause
To identify and honour what you need to be the most whole version of yourself. So you can feel good - energised, fulfilled, joyful - AND you can contribute fully and make a big and beautiful impact on this world.
If you would like to dive deeper into teachings and conversations like this with like minded leaders for different industries and organisations - I would love to invite you to our Radiant Leadership Network which relaunches at the end of April. These conversations are important for the future of our health and our businesses.
Much love, Laura xx