To need a break after a holiday.

[Tinkerblonde1]

My friend has invited me out the day after I get back from holiday. She thinks I am crazy that I feel like I need at least 4 days to do nothing and get over it.
I find holiday travel tiring and overwhelming and then there's sorting all of the washing. I also feel bloated after travelling.
I am technically free but I feel like I need a period of hibernation.

I can't understand people who book holidays and go back to work the next day. This would stress me and ruin the holiday for me.
I have always been the same. Am I crackers?

No, I'm with you. I would see a friend for a cuppa or a walk but not a night out.

Mind you, that's how I feel most of the time these days.😂

Years ago my then boss told me he always arrived back a day earlier from holiday than the date he pretended to everyone else. He said he loved that day at home readjusting alone, getting unpacked and laundry done.

I adopted his strategy and highly recommend it.

I don’t really get it no if the holiday is for resting/relaxing? Four days to get over it is a bit odd. Most people go back to work because they’ve used up holiday being on holiday!

4 days seems slightly excessive but I always like an extra day or two after I get home to unwind and sort everything out

I generally try not to go straight back to work the day after a holiday, but 4 days seems excessive! And I wouldn’t count going out with a friend as stressful so I’d be happy to do that the day after I got home.

Our family holidays are not relaxing, it's weeks of becoming a full time nursery worker, wrestling referee, snack provider, bag carrier, sun cream applier. We are just about to go and I know I won't get 2 mins to even wee in peace. I am looking forward to the first weekday back so I can pop both DC into nursery and clubs and just decompress!

I don't know what you do OP.
But I usually get back from a holiday on Saturday evening, have Sunday to get everything unpacked. washed etc and back to work on Monday.

So I couldn't go out for the whole day as I'd have too much to do and I couldn't take 4 days to recover as I'd be back at work
I thought this was normal and how most people did it?

I would come back the day before to catch up on chores like the laundry and food shop but a day would be enough for me. If I needed 4 days Uk recover then it would eat into my holiday.

I would go out happily but I can see that's not your thing.

We usually take 2 weeks off but do a 10 or 12 day holiday so we have a couple of days at home too.
This year we go on a Sunday and come back on a Friday, so 1 day before to finish packing and 2 days when we get back. Perfect.

I book an extra day if I have been away as it's too much going straight back.to work. Need washing and shopping doing and just getting ready for the week. Going away is stressy and tiring.

I like a day to catch up from a normal holiday. When I went to Disney I felt like I needed another holiday as I was knackered. Depends what you’ve been doing really. A hiking holiday may need more downtime than a 2 week pool holiday.

This is our experience these days as well.

However, even before kids I'd probably want to spend the next day at home, alone, trying to unwind from travelling etc and sort out washing.

I wouldn't need 4 days, but whatever, that's irrelevant OP, the fact is it's nothing to do with your friend! See her when it suits you.

But lugging suitcases, squished on a plane and jet leg if long hauland the washing undo some of the relax.

I need to see people as soon as I can after a holiday as my tan is very short-lived!

It’s nice to have a day off once you get back from holiday to get sorted, but time off is precious and I want to use every second on holidays whenever possible. I’ve been known to go straight from the airport to work on more than one occasion……

A day or two yes, but four seems a bit much. But everybody's different so what you do is up to you.

I'm completely the same! I always say I need a holiday to recover from my holiday! The travel element, I find exciting, but also overwhelming and tiring, and usually my digestive system is out of whack.

Exactly the same as you.

DH is away with work September, so I asked a couple of mum friends if they wanted to come and stay in farm cottage as it's my 40th. With kids.

One said oh we get back from two weeks away that day, I will just come straight to you!!! I can't think of anything worse, the poor thing. She loved the idea, extend the holiday...

All different I guess!

Pre children I would be happy to do anything the day after getting back from holiday. Post children, I definitely need a few days to recover!

But lugging suitcases, squished on a plane and jet leg if long hauland the washing undo some of the relax.

I do this on an almost weekly basis for work (95% of the time in economy) and it is what it is. Sadly I can't afford 4 days off after every single work trip.

Would it be nice to have time off for the washing and to rest a bit? Sure. Is it needed? No. You're entitled to say no to your friend though, but the vast majority of the population manages to fly back on a Sunday night and be at work Monday 9am.

If it was for work I think I would manage better as I wouldn't have the family, the drink and as poster said the digestive issues.

Interesting how other people feel about it.

If its transatlantic then definitely need a few days.

4 days seems very excessive. We use the rest of the day/next day to unpack, do washing etc then back to reality. Not sure I'd go on a holiday if it took me almost as long to get over it, I like to come back from holidays feeling relaxed and de-stressed.

I'd refer to what you're talking about as a trip rather than a holiday OP.

Yes If I had been in Australia for 2 weeks then taken several days to come home with a weekend in Singapore or Dubai or wherever on way home then I would need a few days to recover.
But not from an ordinary holiday where I've flown from A to B and spent a week or 2 there.

Even from USA we fly home overnight Saturday night. Stay up all day Sunday and get laundry, unpacking done, very early bed Sunday and often back to school/work Monday but occasionally have Monday off. most people don't have enough annual leave or school holidays to take several days off to recover unless taking 2 weeks off but only going away for 10 days (but I wouldn't do that for long haul)

You would call a week in Spain or France a trip? Definitely a holiday I would say.

I have done the states for a four day trip several times.

I am thinking I am like this in general now and I never used to be. I hate having the pressure to do things and need to have time to just do nothing.

Well, we’re all different and change over time. When my now-husband/then-boyfriend and I were long distance, I would often fly from the UK to the west coast of the US on a Wednesday or Thursday, stay till Sunday and fly back overnight, arrive in the UK on Monday and be at work Monday evening. I got used to it. Now I’m out of practice and I know I’ll need a day to recover from going to our nephew’s wedding later this year and that’s in the same state.

You don’t owe your friend any explanation as to why you don’t feel up to it.