Post-Vacation Chaos, Calendars, and That Quiet Reminder I Almost Missed
I’m sitting at my favorite local coffee shop—headphones in, protein coffee in hand, and a whole lot of post-vacation whiplash swirling around in my brain.
We just got back from an 8-day road trip with the fam. I’d love to call it a vacation, but let’s be honest—if you’ve ever road tripped with your whole crew and tried to check off every bucket list item in a week, you know it’s anything but restful. Fun? Yes. Chaotic? Also yes. Restful? Not even close.
So this morning, I woke up with that familiar feeling of panic—the “oh crap” moment when you realize life didn’t stop while you were away. The to-do list multiplied. The calendar filled up. And now, it’s go time.
I found myself staring at my list, already overwhelmed before I even started. The overachiever in me was loud. She’s always extra chatty when I’m already anxious. Telling me I should have planned better, should already be caught up, should be doing more.
But somewhere in the middle of that noise, I heard this quiet little voice say:
"Hey… don’t forget to take care of you this week, too."
And it stopped me in my tracks.
So, I did what I do when I’m trying to get my life together—I pulled up my calendar. (Time blocking is basically my love language.) And instead of just blocking out time for work and all the things I need to get done, I put me back on the calendar.
Time for movement.
Time for dinner with my husband—no phones.
Time for writing.
Time for reading.
And yes, time for meditation. (A brand-new thing for me. Still figuring it out. Still feels weird. Still showing up for it.)
Because here’s what I know: I can have a week where I do it all and still feel like I’m drowning. Or I can have a week where I do what actually matters, take care of myself, and feel like I lived it.
Now that I’ve got my week mapped out—with both tasks and time for me—I actually feel calm. Capable. Accomplished.
Like I can take on the world again.
And that? That’s a win worth celebrating.
So if you're coming back from a little chaos (or still sitting in the middle of it), maybe this is your reminder too.
Put you back on the calendar.
Even if it’s just a walk.
Even if it’s five minutes of quiet.
Even if the list still looks long.
You can chip away at the list and take care of yourself.
It’s not about doing it all.
It’s about doing what matters.
I’m rooting for you,
With love and encouragement,
Beth
I’d love to hear your thoughts—how do you ease back into real life after a full (and let’s be honest, slightly exhausting) trip or season? What helps you reset without burning out?
