Hello from sunny Australia! I’m Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond. I’m delighted to be writing again for Donna’s Sunday Guest Post Series. We have met some fabulous people here, haven’t we? A huge thank you to Donna for introducing everyone. I’m honoured to be returning. I wrote my first post for this series back in July where I discussed Retiring from Work, not Life – The Art of Positive Aging.
Now that I’m back, I’d like to share my tips on finding your ‘mojo’ after a long holiday. Recently, as part of my sixtieth birthday celebrations, my husband and I took a five-week holiday, exploring Spain and Italy. We flew to London, which is a twenty-six-hour flight from Australia, spent a few days there, then flew to Portugal for our Spanish Adventure. We followed this with a seven-night cruise before visiting my husband’s cousins in Italy. Phew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. It was a fantastic experience for both of us and a great way to cap off my sixtieth birthday.
We returned home with wonderful memories. For the first time, we came home TIRED after our holiday. It took a long while for us to get over jet lag. After sampling the delicious food and sangria, I felt bloated and uncomfortable. I felt out of sorts and didn’t have the motivation to get back into exercise or blogging. I’m a person who likes to be active and living life, but I didn’t feel like running with my Saturday Sisters or doing anything strenuous at all. That had to stop! So what did I do to recapture my mojo and zest for living?
Take Time to Recover
I allowed myself to recover and not feel guilty about it. In the past, I would have jumped straight back into life and pushed myself. I realised that I didn’t need to do that because I am retired so had no immediate commitments waiting for me. I gave myself permission to rest and recover not only my body but also my mind. It also gave me time to reflect on our holiday and enjoy the recent memories.
Make a Plan
What is the point of visiting fabulous places and restricting yourself? I knew that I wanted to enjoy the food of Spain and Italy and of course the sangria. However, coming home and feeling uncomfortable I knew I had to get my healthy lifestyle back. For this, I needed a plan! I set out a strategy for resuming my regular exercise and eating well-balanced meals. Rather than rushing straight back into my normal exercise routine, I started with gentle yoga and stretching, and downloaded an app, ‘My Daily Workout’. I hadn’t exercised for five weeks, so I needed to listen to my body and ease back into my workouts.
Catch Up with Family and Friends
I regularly mind my grandson each week and after five weeks away, I had missed him so much. It was great to start that weekly commitment again and also catch up with my family and running friends, my Saturday Sisters. Getting back to connecting is a great way to lift your spirits and help you feel motivated again.
After one month, I was feeling back to my fit, fabulous, healthier and happier self with wonderful holiday memories. I was ready to take on the Festive Season! Life is certainly not dull in our household…but that is a story for another time.
How do you find your mojo? I’d love for you to leave me your comments.
Sue
Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
From Retirement Reflections: Thank you, Sue. I’m sure that many of us found this post to be very timely. I certainly did. I like your advice to permit ourselves to take time to recover and then get back to our routines slowly but steadily. As our holiday company left this past week, yours is a strategy that I will borrow to transition back into my regular activities…and my regular meals! Up next week is Anabel from The Glasgow Gallivanter. Anabel will be talking to us about ‘Hidden Histories.’ Please join us next Sunday to see what she has to reveal!
Retirement Reflections 
Hi Sue, Thank you for sharing your great tips. Your flights were very long and you’d need time to recover. We need to be kind to ourselves. Gentle stretches and yoga are good for our body and mind, any time. I usually do them throughout my vacation to stay flexible and maintain muscle memory. Thanks again, Donna, for another excellent guest post.
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Hi, Natalie – As you are also a very frequent traveler, I greatly appreciate that you have added your advice, and reinforced Sue’s tips here. I am just beginning to get back into my own post-holiday routines — so all advice is gladly received!
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Yes living in Australia is great but it can be a drag when flying to the other side of the world. Thanks for your points about gentle stretches and yoga – we can always find time for those even on holidays.
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Yes, unfortunately too many people rush around trying to see too many places within a few days. That is exhausting and never as rewarding as staying in one place longer and getting to know the city or town.
Glad to hear that you didn’t eventually feel guilty about taking time to recover. We have found that is compulsory to do when quite a lot of travel is involved.
Happy 60th Sue 🙂
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Hi, Suz – I agree that it is easy to ‘overbook’ ourselves once we get home and push ourselves too hard to instantly get back to our regular routines. It is great advice to give ourselves ‘guilt-free’ recovery time, especially when much travel/change to routine is involved. Thanks for stopping by to read Sue’s post and share your feedback. I greatly admire the amount of travel that you and the Squire accomplish!
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I agree Suz but for various reasons we had to make the most of our time. I would love to be in a position like yourself and spend more time at a destination. We took what we could get and had a great time, however as I said it was quite tiring this time.
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We have noticed the difference in our tiredness with travel from just a couple of years ago. Hey, some people no doubt think we don’t stay long enough in places 🙂 Glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself, and that is all that matters at the end of the day. One thing that has helped us tremendously is taking a multi-vitamin for the over50’s. Magic 🙂
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Great suggestion on the multi-vitamin. What brand do you use?
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It’s certainly wonderful not to have that “back to work” feeling, but I agree you still need time to readjust to ordinary life. And not just eating healthier meals but having to cook them yourself!
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Hi, Anabel – Great point about the needing to cook again (along with other household chores) once we return home! I also do not miss that ‘need to rush back to work’ feeling. Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to sharing your Guest Post next week.
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Oh I agree Anabel one of the hardest things is coming back and getting your mind into gear to actually think about cooking and what to make!
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Hey Sue, It is often hard for active people (or those who want to be active) to allow themselves the time to recover. Recently, I had to give myself permission to relax and recover … and yes, even with lots of support (nagging?) to do that, it was very challenging. Without the go-go-go, sometimes it felt like I’d accomplished nothing the whole week. Emotionally tough. Looking back, it was so needed and I feel like I do have my mojo back this week.
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Hi Pat, I hear you! I recently hurt my back and had to slow down my running and exercise. It was killing me mentally as that is my stress release. However, I’ve learned that I do need to listen to my body and because I was patient (or tried to be) I’m now back to pain free. Glad you found your mojo and have a great week!
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Hi, Pat – I totally get the difficulty with ‘just relaxing’ and feeling that you ‘accomplished nothing’. I’m the one who can’t even rest in Savasana for long! I’m so glad to hear that you got the rest that your body needed…and that you now have your ‘mojo’ back. Well done!
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Excellent advice! When I travel, I allow myself to indulge as much as I want since the experience is always more important than maintaining discipline. But, when I come home, I find it difficult to get back into the swing of things. I’m still struggling to get my “mojo” back completely after doing a lot of traveling in 2017. But, I better get to it since we’ll be traveling again this year and I need to fit comfortably into my clothes 🙂 !
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Hi, Janis – Where are you and Paul traveling to this year? If you are swinging by this area (two years in a row…but a girl can dream) Richard and I will actually be on the island this summer. We would love for you to visit! 🙂
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That is the only downside to travelling Janis coming home and back to routine. Lucky you travelling again this year! Where are you off to? P.S. I love the name of your blog and must check it out.
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We hope to get to Spain, Portugal, and France. The beauty of retirement is that we can travel for as long as we’d like so I’d like to get as much in on a single transatlantic flight as possible.
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Excellent choice! Richard and I traveled to those three countries this past summer. They were amazing (as were the sangria and the port)!
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Great advice! As much as I enjoy traveling, it’s always nice to get back home and into my routine.
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Thanks, Jill – I LOVE travel! Still, I do agree with you. There is NO place like home!
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I agree Jill and our own bed!
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Wow! The length of your flight leaves me reeling. I couldn’t imagine the feeling of being in the air that long. You would definitely need a time for recovery. Thanks for the very down to earth post!
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Hi, Fran – That certainly is a great deal of airplane time….and then add in airport time, transfers, potential delays, getting to from the airport, etc. etc. No wonder Sue was exhausted….I was exhausted for her! 🙂 I agree that this is a very down to earth post with great, doable advice.
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Yes Fran that is the downside of living in Australia (the only downside I might add). Being on the other side of the world means you have to take longer holidays to make the most of your time and also sometimes that means flying straight through. Sometimes we take a stop over for a night or two depending where we are travelling and how much time we have. Glad you enjoyed my thoughts.
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Thank you Donna for having me as your guest for a repeat performance.! It is always great connecting with people of like minds and I’m eager to read Anabel’s contribution next week.
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Thank YOU, Sue. I am honoured that you agreed to Guest Host again. And, your post really hit home for me!
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A very timely post indeed Sue and Donna! I always enjoy Sue’s sensible advice and agree we have to go easy on ourselves. I’m currently doing a program challenging myself with food and exercise and it’s all about consistency for me. I’m so glad you got to eat and drink your way around your holiday and didn’t deny yourself that pleasure!! Another great guest, thanks Donna.
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Hi, Debbie – I agree that so many of the guest posts have turned out to be timely (at least for me)! 🙂 I Love how it so often works out this way. Good luck with your challenge. I look forward to reading about the details…and the results!
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Hi Debbie your challenge sounds like a great way to start the year. I’m on a wellness drive at the moment especially after the holiday and Christmas! I’ll look forward to reading about your progress.
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They say a vacation is not a holiday and that is so true isn’t it Sue? You often need a holiday to recover from a vacation – and that’s one of the bonuses of being retired, you don’t have to rush straight back into the daily grind, you can rest, recuperate, and recharge after the jetlag and all the extra eating. I’m so glad you found your mojo again (I need my cheerleader!) x
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Hi, Leanne – You make a good point about the difference between ‘vacation’ and ‘holiday’….two words that are often used interchangeably. Add to that questions, “Can you really take ‘vacation’ or ‘holiday’ during retirement…or do they become part of the ‘retirement gig’?” Thank you for your thought=provoking comment.
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Yes the tour guide actually said the same thing. Traveling is not a holiday. I wouldn’t trade the trip and experience even though it was tiring. We took a couple of weeks over Christmas at the coast to chillax. I need my mojo back to fit into my cheerleader outfit ☺
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Sue, As much as I love to travel, it seems that getting out of our daily routines can make us vulnerable. We spent a month in Europe last summer and even though we walked daily, I was missing the regular exercises I do to keep my body in shape. I had been in PT for a month before the trip and you just can’t keep up those exercises when you are out of your environment. So, you are correct, you just have to ease back into your routine. I find that looking through vacation pictures and reminding myself how fun the trip had been, can be helpful. I’m always grateful for the opportunity to go places, and that helps me forgive myself.
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Hi, Karen – You are right about the vulnerability aspect of travel and lack of routine. I had never thought about that before. Despite all of my wonderful intentions, I just never seem to keep up my exercise routine when traveling (other than walking the Camino)!
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So true about not being able to keep up PT whilst traveling Karen. Sometimes I can sneak some gym time on a cruise but really this time I just wanted to enjoy everything. I agree about feeling vulnerable when you get back as fitness levels can drop fast. I’m also grateful to be able to travel most years so a short time of ‘feeling out of sorts’ when we come home is worth it . ☺
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I like how you gave yourself permission to ease back into your normal home routines, Sue. You are so right! There are benefits to retirement and one of them is going easy on yourself. I like to be in new places, but I hate to travel to and fro to get there. What a fabulous trip you had! But it came with a price tag besides the cost of the trip. And you did a great job not cashing in your serenity and wellbeing.
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Me too, Molly! I love being at my vacation destination….but I am now losing the energy to get there and back. Even taking the ferry (which used to be so magical) to get to/from our island home, is now a major drag. Funny how interests, energies (and patience) change as we age. 🙂
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Donna, I am still new enough to the Island that I still like the ferry, as in, “Whoohoo! We get to ride on the ferry!” However, the appeal of ferry food has faded fast.
Jude
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I love your ‘whoohoo’ attitude. Sadly for me, that ship has sailed (pun intended). 🙂
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Usually I’m pretty tough on myself Molly but this time I really needed to hoist the white flag and take my time. I love your last sentence ‘not cashing in on my serenity and well being’ ☺
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Oh my gosh, Sue, that sounds like it was a dream trip! I will turn 60 this year! May need to adjust my plans! I love how you gave yourself permission to take whatever steps necessary to recover. For me, it was allowing myself to take each day as it comes. My Christmas decorations didn’t get taken down until yesterday! But oh well, other things got in the way! No worries! Great post! Thanks! ~ Lynn
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Hi, Lynn – Happy Birthday in advance! I think that taking Christmas decorations down in mid-January is totally acceptable. There should be no expiry date for festivity!! 🙂
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It was a dream trip, Lynn and I feel very lucky to have had the experience. You need to treat yourself for your 60th and happy birthday in advance. Sometimes I wish we could leave the Christmas decorations up all year, but then I suppose the would not be as special then. ☺
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I can relate, Sue. My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Mexico, and while we were only gone for 10 days, when you add in the holiday celebrating for a month before that, I felt the need to get back to a healthier routine. I got my mojo back by attending an Orangetheory class and my favorite Weight Watchers meeting. (I’m a lifetime member and love it!) Now I just need to get caught up on my writing commitments! You’ll be hearing from me soon. 🙂
Thanks, Donna, for featuring Sue as one of your guests. I’m always inspired by her–and you!
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Hi, Christie – I am glad to hear that your trip to Mexico went well, as did your holidays. Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it! 🙂
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Holidays are wonderful, Christie and I enjoyed seeing your photos on Facebook. Sounds like you are back into the wellness groove. I’m looking forward to reading your post. ☺
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I recognize that feeling of exhaustion. My husband and I never go on vacation (no time and no money), but, we are full-time nomads. Constant travel and moving, and worrying about the weather (and many sleepless nights) are all very draining. After our eight year journey on our sailboat, I was utterly exhausted and needed a long time to recover. It was the first time in my life I needed a break from travel! Our solution after that period on the water, was to pick up a more comfortable and relaxed lifestyle (house and pet sitting in one country). After two years of that, I finally feel ready for a more adventurous lifestyle again. 🙂
During your “time to recover”, I bet it was also nice and reflective to go through all your photos taken on your five-week trip. Good idea to ease into the exercise routine after a long break. And, I’m sure it was fantastic to catch up with friends and family again. I’m glad you got back in time for the festive season. 🙂
(Donna, I hate to tell you, but this comment was “blocked” again when submitting it with my iPad – might be a Safari problem . This time, I was smart enough to copy it before hitting “post comment”. :-))
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Hi, Liesbet – Yikes! I hate to hear that my site is blocking comments. I wonder if any other commenters have experienced this problem on my site recently? I am so glad that you were smart and copied your comment first. I will do a check on my side and see if I can find out what may be causing it.
Thank you for leaving your detailed comment. I agree that constant traveling and moving are exhausting. I do agree that going through photos of our holidays and fun times with friends and family can be very energizing. I need to remind myself to do this more often!
Hope all is well for you and Mark.
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What an interesting life, Liesbet and you must have had some wonderful experiences. I suppose house sitting would have been a novelty after the sailboat but it sounds like you are ready for adventure again!
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Sue, it is so good to “see” you here on Donna’s blog. Congrats on your successful journey. I felt the exact way after just being gone from our house over the holidays. And we were only 600 miles away on the West Coast, except for our week in Hawaii. I did come home tired and out of sorts, but I feel that is from not being an experienced traveler. I loved your tips for dealing with coming home and getting back into the routine. I also did not enjoy taking down holiday decorations (although minimally done to avoid the impact), and had jury duty looming which I just finished today! Happy New Year to you both if I haven’t said so already 🙂
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Hi, Terri – Wow, you’ve certainly had lots on! No wonder you are tired. Your trip to Hawaii looked and sounded fantastic. I am so happy that it turned out so well!
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Hi Terri, yes I was honoured to be a repeat performer 🙂 I think we all feel this way after holidays especially if you combine the Festive Season as well. Happy New Year to you and I’m glad you are getting back to routine. I wish we could leave the Christmas decorations all year, but then they wouldn’t be as special would they?
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Wow, Sue! What a fabulous trip! And getting over it is a problem that I’d like to have! I can’t wait to read about your next trip…living vicariously through you right now! Thanks for sharing.
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Hi, Lucie – I agree, getting back on track after ‘Sue’s Spanish Adventure’ would be a nice problem to have. I think that she would agree with that too!
Thank you so much for stopping by. I greatly appreciate it.
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Hi Lucie, lovely to meet you! Yes it was a wonderful trip and we saw so many beautiful and interesting places – totally different to Australia. Even though it was only in October and I came back tired, yes we are looking at what our next trip will be – can’t help ourselves. Have a lovely weekend and thanks for the comment.
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Sue, that is something that I have noticed in my sixties: jet lag hits harder and recovery takes longer.
Jude
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Oh no, another thing increased by aging? The list is getting longer! 🙂
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♥ Enjoyed your post Sue! Traveling can be very exhausting and although we love to get out and see the world, it’s always good to get back home. I guess that’s why they say there’s no place like home, huh? Thanks Donna! Shared onto Fb, G+, Pn, and Tw ♥
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Hi, Dee – I agree that traveling can be incredibly exhausting…and it is very easy to get out of routine. Richard and I had a one-night staycation at a local resort in our area last night, and I was totally out of routine today when I returned home. Pathetic – but true!
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