Vacation, all I ever wanted

I've been on vacation! I went home to North Carolina to visit my brand new baby nephew (and, I guess, the rest of my family ;) ). It was a fantastic time, per usual, but now it's back to the grind.

We got home yesterday,  roughly 6 hours later than originally intended due to some flight delays, so I decided to take today off from work. I'm glad because now, in the cold light of day as I sit on my couch at noon in my pajamas watching baking shows on Netflix, I'm feeling that tidal wave of everyday life racing toward me as a lengthy "to do" list forms in my head.

^This basically sums up my feels right now.

I'll process how awesome my vacation was and how much it made me happy later but now it's hard to do that as I stress about all the things I have to do (or think I have to do). It's not just the simple everyday tasks that I have to get back on track now, but upon reentry into normality I'm reminded of all the grand plan things I've been meaning to do but keep putting off, like job hunting for instance.

Instead of spiraling into an angry unproductive black hole and ending up even more unprepared to go back to work than I was yesterday, I figured I'd share my routine I sometimes use to get back on track post-vacation in the hopes that I actually, you know, do it.

"Sagittarius A* is the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy." (source) Perhaps this is the black hole where all my energy and productivity goes.

1. GET READY. I'm not one to scoff at a good couch day, but if you're stressing, it's not going to make you feel any better, trust me. Getting up and going really resets your brain into a more productive mode. I personally like to use this time to get ready as if I have a hot date or big event later because lets be honest- you're doing all that extra work to make yourself feel more confident and ready, not just to impress anyone, so it'll make you feel better.  For me, this means:

• Absolutely boiling hot shower. Straight up poach yourself. Especially after a day of airports and planes, just fry those germs off of you.
• Take your time. Shave if that's a thing you do. I recommend a hair mask- they're cheap and do wonders for my dry, fine hair. 
• Post shower body oil! I get dry as hell in the winter and nothing feels more luxurious than putting on body oil. Seriously, you'll feel like a new person. I use Dr. Teal's Relax & Relief body oil- it's pretty cheap, the bottle lasts forever, and it's my favorite smell. I use Trader Joe's Rose Facial Oil for my face because using anything rose scented makes me feel like a Lady.
• While you absorb all your glorious scented oils, do all the little extras you don't always do. For me, this can include finally taking off that super chipped nail polish and sprucing up my cuticles, rogue eyebrow hair plucking, other hair removal we don't talk about, whatever. Put makeup on even if you're not planning on going anywhere.
• Take care in getting dressed. That doesn't have to mean get fancy, but take a minute to choose things that specifically make you happy. Take your time, look through all your things. 

2. MAKE A LIST. Sit down at your desk or a table, get your fancy notebook (everyone has a thousand fancy notebooks, right?) and make a list of all the things you're panicking about doing. Just dump your anxious brain onto the paper. After making this list, most of the time I'm surprised to find that its not so daunting written down, and much easier to face. 

3. DO A THING. Start small. I usually start with a cleaning task because having a clean and organized apartment makes me feel like a Good Adult, thus bolstering me for further tasks.

4. DO NOT DO ALL THE THINGS. You probably won't finish your list. That is ok. Don't forget to prioritize doing something for pure enjoyment's sake- you just got back from vacation but it's not going to make you feel any better to immediately cut all joy out of your life. 

5. REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE JUST AN ANGSTY HOUSE PLANT. Take in nutrients. Drink lots of water. Get some sun if possible. 

6. TAKE A WALK. If weather permits, some movement and fresh air will do wonders for your mental state. Also, if you over indulged like I did on vacation, you will be feelings sluggish and require exercise. Feel free to move this step up a few notches on the list if you need more help getting your brain in gear after getting ready.

7. HAVE A SOUNDTRACK. Do all these things to music that gets you going and makes you happy. I recommend searching for "Star-Lord's Zune" on Spotify which is a pretty epic and lengthy playlist based on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks. 

After all this, hopefully I'll be in a better mindset and then the bigger things I have to tackle won't seem so daunting. Well, time to get on it I guess!

Had to do it because: 

1. Who doesn't think of this song when someone says vacation?!

2. Who doesn't love a good 80's music video?!

You're welcome.