One of the biggest challenges my clients face is returning to the healthy lifestyle they love after going on a vacation. The scenario usually goes something like this…
Sheila begins working with me and making choices about which she is consistently happy, in terms of eating, exercising, sleeping, and loving the people in her life. She has honed in and developed a vibrantly healthy lifestyle she LOVES and that serves her. Instead of being enslaved by willpower washouts, weight loss obsessions, and a calorically restricted diet that leaves her fatigued and frumpy, she steps into the best version of her daily, easily, and loves every second.
Then the vacation comes.
A few days to a few weeks worth of relaxation, celebration, and loosening up on the structured routine, eating plan, and sleeping schedule.
My only stipulation for my clients is that they consciously make the decision to eat this, go to bed late, or not exercise. No guilt. No judgment. Intention-only.
So Sheila returns from vacation relaxed, refreshed, and somewhat reticent to take up the day-to-day again. On Monday, she immediately demands perfection of herself when returning to her normal healthy lifestyle.
Of course, she fails…
“Why is this so hard?” she quips at her next session. “I don’t know why I’m not ‘getting it’ when I should. I did this and this, but skipped over that and didn’t do this and…”
This is the exact point where I stop my clients because it’s the exact point where judgment returns.
Why is it that we take an entire week to fully unwind but don’t give ourselves the same amount of time to fully return to our normal???
Lasting change we love never happens in judgment. And it never happens when we demand unrealistic perfection.
Women are more flow-y like waves, instead of abrupt, like this scenario. Our energy flows more easily with flexible transitions.
So instead of following this conversation down the rabbit hole that ends in a relapse into old ways, old patterns, and old behaviors that leave Sheila feeling overwhelmed, blah, and stagnant, let’s try something different instead.
How to Reintroduce Your Vibrantly Healthy Lifestyle After Vacation
Getting back on track is easy when we flow into it and our gentle with ourselves.
1. Celebrate What You’re Already Doing!
You are probably already doing something different that nourishes you than after your last vacation. Whether it’s removing desserts from the house, shopping for only nourishing food, exercising, sleeping on schedule.
Whatever it is, celebrate it! How is this different from before?
Remembering our new baseline is essential for long-term success. Otherwise, we’ll continue behaving out of the “old me” instead of the “new me” that makes good decisions (and healthy won’t stick).
Feel your success! And pat yourself on the back! You deserve it! You’re changing!
2. Only Implement the One Thing
What one thing – if you implemented it immediately – will produce the most results? For me, it’s usually my usual breakfast routine, cooking all the week’s meals at once, or shopping. What is it for you?
Focus ONLY on that one thing until you successfully implement it and feel the difference for a couple of days.
This not only provides laser focus, but it takes everything else off of your plate!
No wonder you’re stressed out and failing if you’re trying to do EVERYTHING and your life at once! That’s a bit hard on yourself, don’t you think???
3. Repeat Steps #1 & #2 Until You Are Satisfied With Your Routine
Structured routines provide freedom. This is a paradox worthy of pursuit. On one hand, routine provides safety to our brains while on the other, we feel centered and so can serve our families and the people in our lives more effectively.
When you successfully complete step #2, celebrate this success, and then only focus on the next one thing.
And the next one thing.
My clients love how flexible this system is to corkscrew healthy habits back into a regular routine they LOVE and CRAVE. It not only takes the pressure off to be perfect, but eases them back into every day life.
TIP: Scheduling the rest of your life in this way will also produce the same benefit. Instead of scheduling big meetings and high-pressure activities immediately after a vacation, schedule them as far out as possible, maybe the next week, on a Tuesday or Thursday.
What resonated with you most in today’s article? Share it in the comments below! I cannot wait to read each one.
If you’re feeling stuck about what to do to get back on track, you are invited to schedule a complimentary Done With Overwhelm Strategy Call. In it, we’ll uncover your exact path to get on track quickly to living, loving, and vibrantly healthy! 🙂
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Gerilyn Burnett helps women achieve the body, energy, and impact they desire by implementing healthy lifestyles they love! She specializes in helping Christian women cultivate health to the glory of God. Her own journey from miserable, fat, stuck, and tired to fit, confident, vibrant, and delicious make her uniquely suited for this mission! She has a knack for creating contagious healthy experiences and providing the needed support and accountability that turn diets into lifestyles and dreams into realities. Get started on your journey to vibrant vitality for life here.