How to combat post-travel depression

On the way home from the airport recently, tired from the journey after a blissful week in the French countryside gorging on bread and cheese, something rather interesting happened.

It started with the grin plastered on my face. Then I noticed my fiancé was smiling, too. “I can’t wait to get home to the cat,” I said. “Me too,” he replied, adding a little later, “I’ve missed Josh and Chuck too.” They’re the guys behind the Stuff You Should Know podcasts he listens to every morning.

“We’re very lucky,” I said, as I paid the cab driver, “to be so happy about coming home from holiday.”

But until a few years ago, things were very different. Going on holiday meant coming home with a severe case of post-holiday blues, or, to use the technical term, PTD – post-travel depression. I’d be sobbing at the thought of getting back to reality, suffering sleepless dread-filled nights about returning to work.

Now, getting back to reality felt like pure joy. I realise this may sound monumentally smug, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Our lives are far from perfect, but my fiancé and I have a lot to be grateful for – the lovely weather here in Dubai, the beaches and the fact it’s a safe and clean city.

I have a comfortable little apartment in a quiet, leafy part of Dubai, my beloved cat, we both have jobs we enjoy and our health. Simple everyday things that are easy to take for granted.

A few years ago, life was stressful and somewhat chaotic. I’d quit my job with no clear sense of where I was headed, my health was under strain and, as a result, things needed to change. It was a rocky patch. This is normal in life, we all encounter problems in some form or other. Navigating through them isn’t always easy, and it took me a long time to make the changes I needed to make.

But now, warm with the joy of giving my cat a cuddle, and looking forward to getting back into my ‘normal’ routine and all its little highlights – the morning walk to the metro, weekends by the pool and ambles around the mall – I realise I’m reaping the rewards. One of the biggest of which is an amplified appreciation of all these little blessings.

And we all owe it to ourselves to bask in our contentment, and make the most of the good things while we can. So what do you most look forward to coming home to? Here, well-being experts reveal their post-holiday joys…

Chief medical director at iCare Clinics, Dubai (www.icare-clinics.com)

“I always look forward to catching up with the work I missed while on vacation. I unwind while on holiday and have the breathing space to think up new ideas that I look forward to implementing when I get back into the office. The truth is that excites and gives me a boost. That’s why I don’t succumb to post-travel depression. I also look forward to meeting colleagues and bring them back unique gifts.”

Personal trainer and founder of Elite Aesthetics DXB (www.eadxb.com)

“I love being back in my kitchen and get stuck in with lots of cooking. I also can’t wait to get back to the gym, as some hotels often have inadequate training facilities for an athlete like me who is used to training in a specific way everyday. My work is my life so my clients are always at the back of my mind even when I’m on holiday. I look forward to getting back to them to see if they have stuck to their training plan and diet while I’ve been away. We always have a good catch-up and if they’ve gone off track a bit I’m sure to set things straight once again!”

Writer, blogger and Dubai-based health expert (www.victorialeckie.com)

“I have to say I really look forward to seeing our Border collie, B, when I get back from holiday. I may have enjoyed the most wonderful break, but just walking through the front door and seeing her wag her tail fills me with excitement. I kneel down and give her a big cuddle before I’ve even closed the front door. I feel so grateful for my warm welcome – this is definitely a ‘home sweet home’ moment for me. Pets really do make a house a home and B never fails to make me smile.”

Hypnotherapist (www.selfhypnosisuk.com)

Psychological coach (www.nickjankel.com) and founder of wisdom and well-being start-up, Ripe and Ready (www.ripeandready.com)

“I’m looking forward to getting back into the regular rhythm of daily life, which we – my family – have tuned to work for all of us: not too much work, not too much play. I urge my coaching clients to invest real effort in finding their rhythm; no person is the same, so it’s key that people find a rhythm that really flows with their energy, their intentions, their need for sleep and their ambitions. I also look forward to getting back to our regular food, exercise and meditation cycle – fresh smoothies, chin-ups in the kitchen, the elliptical by the hi-fi speakers, the meditation corner – bliss! And my wonderful, soft sheets and perfectly selected pillows.”

Founder of Fertility Rooms (www.emmacannon.co.uk)

“I absolutely love the summer holiday; time spent with my husband, children and friends in our cottage in the South of France. We drive there and back every summer and on the return leg we have usually been in the car for 12 hours. I really miss my bed and a bath. I make sure that when I get home there are newly laundered sheets (my guilty pleasure) and I get into a lovely bath and straight to bed. I also miss my work; it is my passion. I don’t miss the business side, but the time I spend in consultation with patients is incredibly rewarding. Helping couples and individuals on the journey to becoming parents is such a privilege and not a day goes by when I am not grateful for what I do and the fascinating stories people share with me.”

Founder of Wild Nutrition (www.wildnutrition.com)

“I have just returned from a couple of weeks away and I was most excited about coming back to my comfortable bed (which I would take with me if I could fit it in the suitcase), and the good old casserole dish that I have scrubbed down in preparation for a one-pot cook-off. Oh, and I look forward to a good soak bath if I have been subjected to a camping holiday.”

Award-winning yoga expert (www.taraleeyoga.com)

“I look forward to coming home to my bed and kitchen – the beds on holiday are never as comfortable. And I miss all my gadgets, like my juicer. I also look forward to seeing my children playing the piano in my kitchen again.”