How to Beat Jet Lag & Post-Holiday Blues: 9 Mind-Body Travel Recovery Tips

You’ve just returned from an incredible trip - your mind full of memories, your body still carrying the rhythm of a different place and time….in my case Spain!
 

But instead of feeling refreshed, you feel… flat. Your body is sluggish. Your mood dips. (Yep that was me over here by day 2 or 3) …. And you just can’t quite land back into your life.

This is completely normal, I found out.

Whether it’s the physical effects of jet lag (eww!) or the energetic drop of post-holiday blues - your body, mind, and nervous system need time and support to recalibrate.

Here’s how to lovingly guide yourself back into balance using embodiment, somatic, and energetic practices.

Why This Happens

1. Jet Lag - (Oh yeah…that old chestnut!)

When you cross time zones, your circadian rhythm, A.K.A your internal body clock - gets thrown off. 

Your sleep, digestion, energy, and mood all operate on a rhythm, so shifting suddenly can leave you disoriented…and possibly a little cranky.

2. Post-Holiday Blues

We all know this one right? The one where we wish we were back on holiday and not back doing the same daily grind? 

Holidays often bring novelty, excitement, slower pacing, and deeper presence. Returning to “normal life” can feel like a letdown. Your nervous system may resist the shift from open exploration back to structured routine.

Especially if you've been on a retreat like I had been for 2 weeks, deeply immersed in the energetics of self healing and expansion while holding space for a group of beautiful women. Sometimes coming home is a bit of a shock to the system, cooking, cleaning, keeping to a schedule and regulating tiny humans emotions while still feeling the vast expansion I've just experienced, including regulating my own trauma and triggers that had surfaced for air to be healed….It can feel like a lot.

So what are some ways to support yourself?

Somatic & Embodiment Practices to Reset Your Body

These help your body land back into now - physically, emotionally, and energetically.

1. Ground Yourself Physically

• Barefoot time - Stand or walk on grass, sand, or earth for 10–20 minutes. This helps regulate your circadian rhythm and nervous system. The negative irons from the earth calibrate your frequency. This was especially important from me to do as soon as I could after stepping off the plane.
  
  
• Weighted grounding - Lay on the floor with a blanket over your belly or hips to invite a sense of heaviness and stability.
  
  

2. Reconnect With Your Breath

Try this jet lag reset breath:

• Inhale for 4 counts through the nose.
  
  
• Hold for 2 counts.
  
  
• Exhale for 6 counts through the mouth.
  Repeat for 3–5 minutes to balance energy and calm your system.
  
  

3. Open and Mobilise Your Body

Travel and emotional transition can make you feel stiff and “held in.”

• Stretch tall, reach arms overhead, then fold forward letting your head hang.
  I love to fold my arms while bent over and hug my elbows, its like a hug to myself to help reset my nervous system.
  
  
• Roll your spine slowly up, stacking vertebra by vertebra.
  
  
• Add gentle shaking through the body - feet, hands, shoulders - to release travel tension and stagnant energy…Ever seen a wold or wild animal shake after being chased or in an intense situation? - This is mother natures way of shaking off the fight flight response and downregulating their nervous system back to a rest and digest state.
  
  

Energetic Alignment Tips

4. Reset Your Inner Clock With Light

Morning sunlight is one of the fastest ways to help your body adjust to local time.

• Step outside within an hour of waking… The sooner the better.
  
  
• Look toward the horizon (not directly at the sun) for 5–10 minutes.
  
  

5. Clear Residual Travel Energy

If your like me and obsob energy of others easily, trips often leave you with energetic “imprints” - from airports, crowded spaces, and new environments.

• Take a salt bath with a few drops of grounding essential oils (cedarwood, frankincense).
  
  
• Brush your body lightly from head to toe with your hands, imagining you’re sweeping away what’s not yours.
  
  
• I often like to envision an Vortex of light from the universe swirling down around me clearing anyone's energy from me, protecting me. Similar to how you can surround yourself with a bubble of light.
  
  

6. Anchor Back Into Your Home Energy

When you walk in the door, spend a moment in each room, placing a hand on the wall, and breathing deeply - letting your home feel you and you feel your home again.

You may want to sage the house and call in a Vortex of light to cleanse the space and give it any energetic upgrade it may need to meet you art your new level of expansion post holiday or retreat.

Nervous System Support for the Post-Holiday Dip

7. Honour the Transition

Instead of jumping straight into full productivity, allow a landing day (or weel) if possible - unpack slowly, do light chores, and let your system catch up. Be kind to yourself. Noting any new insights that come though in a journal and set the intention to return to work on a certain date so you dont get lost in procrastination but also give yourself the space you need to integrate everything thats occurred while on holiday or at retreat.

8. Recreate Holiday Moments

• Cook a meal inspired by your travels…My Family Loved my spanish inspired dinner….i was genuinely shocked and surprised by the love my kids had for the meal as i had very much expected them to turn their nose up at it like everything else I make.
  
  
• Listen to music you enjoyed on the trip….So amy Goddess and tribal beats for me.
  
  
• Wear something you bought on holiday.
  This bridges the gap between “there” and “here,” making the return feel less abrupt.
  
  

9. Reconnect Socially

Isolation after a social, stimulating holiday can feel sharper. Invite a friend for tea, share your favourite travel moment, or connect online.

So what actually helped on the plane & what are my top tips?

Hydrations, hydration, hydration. This was my best friend on the plane! I consumed so much water being in the pressurised cabin…I also made sure I had electrolytes to help me hydrate once I stepped off the plane.

I decided at the last minute to book myself a seat prior to take off and before check in which was extremely lucky as the flights to and from Europe were FULL and I found a lot of men were pushy and tried to steal the seat I had paid for. But I stood strong in my power and refused to be bullied into giving up something that was important to me. A seat might sound silly but with a 5cm cyst on your ovary, it's important to keep your bladder as empty as possible LOL.

I also found pre-ordering a Bland meal helped keep my digestive system feeling much better. I can eat garlic and onion and all the meals were loaded with them. I found a lot of people around me were more inclined to prefer the fresh fruit and vegetables I had been allocated than the highly processed ones they had been served.

Coming Home…

Coming home is more than unpacking your suitcase - it’s re-aligning your body clock, grounding your nervous system, and bringing your energy back to the present.

With a little embodiment, somatic and energetic care, you can shift from sluggish and flat to integrated, grounded, and inspired - carrying the magic of your travels into everyday life.