Do you ever get back from a fun trip or event only to find yourself more depressed than before? I just spent two weeks in California visiting family and attending my best friend’s bachelorette party and wedding. The weather was beautiful, my air travel was easy, and I had the best time seeing people I love and celebrating such a gorgeous wedding! Then yesterday when I arrived home I just felt sad. This trip I had been so excited about is now over, I don’t know when I’ll get to see those friends and family members again, and my empty studio is lonely and quiet and boring (and I have to make my own food and wash dishes, lol, I was enjoying vacation laziness).
In my personal history “post-high” depression is a very real thing. Every year as a kid when summer camp was over I would bawl my eyes out, despite promptly failing to keep in touch with my new best friends. Or when a music festival came to an end and my high energy weekend faded into my usual monotony I would be more bummed out than seemed appropriate. And even after the wedding last weekend I found myself wide awake at 4 AM feeling remarkably weepy for the fact that my friend’s wedding was officially over and done with. I wanted to go back and try to take more pictures, talk to more people, attempt to appreciate the moments more, but it had seemingly slipped through my fingers. (For the record, I think I actually did/appreciated enough of the wedding and there’s lots of photographic evidence of that!)
While I think there’s something to be said for the lows being necessary for the highs to feel like highs, I certainly don’t think that being done with an exciting trip or event should warrant stark feelings of hopelessness. It has taken many years of self-observation to identify this post-high dip as a form of depression. Recognizing these feelings as a product of over-stimulation, stress, poor sleep, poor diet, and the shock of alone-time after it all allows me to take steps towards finding balance again.
When I’m home again and feeling like laying face down on the floor for an hour is the only way to cope with the cruelty that is the passing of time I’ve learned to do some of the following things so that my hour getting familiar with the linoleum is, in fact, only an hour. For anyone in need of a few suggestions for how to escape the post-high blues, here’s my two cents:
Take a nap.
Nothing turns me into a crybaby like being tired, and if I’m coming down from something fantastic and fun I’m typically pretty wiped out too. Just remind yourself that there’s nothing more you can do in the moment, take a series of deep breaths, draw the curtains and drift off.
Unpack your bags.
That full suitcase in the corner is only going to make you feel like you still aren’t all the way home yet. Take the time to empty it out, put all of your dirty clothes in the hamper, put your toiletries in the bathroom, stow away the suitcase itself, and stash those miscellaneous items. Gretchen Rubin’s (The Happiness Project) mantra “outer order contributes to inner calm” is something I live by, and fully unpacking helps me to get rid of the emotional residue of travel.
Stay connected.
This is something you’ll have to feel out for yourself, but when I’m coming off of a big trip with lots of people I find it helpful to plan little get-togethers for my return so I don’t suddenly feel isolated. A small hang out like grabbing lunch with a low key friend can help maintain connectedness without being overwhelming. Depression has a tricky way of making you believe that you don’t want to see or speak to anybody, so banish the thought by proving it wrong! Bonus points for telling someone that you’re feeling a little down. Even if they can’t do anything to help, often times getting the words out serves to take a bit of depression’s power away.
Re-engage in routine.
The irregularity of travel sometimes makes me forget what it is that I do on an average day, and being home without doing those things contributes to that off-kilter feeling. If you usually wake up and make coffee before getting dressed, do that. Participating in your daily routines can take you leaps and bounds towards finding your center.
Keep moving on!
If you have any other methods of pulling yourself out of a funk, have at it and leave your suggestions in the comments below! I’m always looking for new/better/interesting ways to cope with this life-long companion of mine (yay, depression forever!!). And remember to reach out to a mental health professional if you need additional help shaking your bad thoughts.
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