How Do You Feel After a Vacation? by Kristie Galvani, Guest Blogger

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I thought I was supposed to feel rejuvenated?

Companies encourage employees to take vacations and personal time to become refreshed and rejuvenated. However when I take a vacation it seems like the exact opposite happens. While I am on vacation it feels great (and as much as I don’t like to admit it, the work thoughts are pushed far behind family, friends, beaches, massages, rides, shows, or whatever it is I may be enjoying.) However, usually within in the first 5 minutes of returning the stress level is right back up and I can barley remember the days of carefree fun!

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday with my husband and friends at Walt Disney World. It was excellent. We did everything from relaxing by the pool, rides, shows, fine-dinning, and more. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (which I would highly recommend) and got to see zebras and giraffes right from our bedroom balcony. We got home late on a Sunday evening and I mentally prepared myself for returning to reality.

AHHHH! Monday was crazy. The piles of papers, emails, tweets, and voice mails were all waiting to be answered along with the staff who needed to update me on everything I had missed. At first I thought to myself, “This is crazy. Maybe I should just move to Disney and hang out with the zebras and giraffes.” But now, a week later I have remembered how much I love what I do. I love the firm, our clients, and the staff. I love tackling new situations every day and satisfying our clients.

Don’t get my wrong. I still loved hanging out with Mickey and acting like a kid again. But it’s made me remember why I do what I do and why I love it. Vacations may cause hectic situations when you return, but they are important. Taking some time away is a good thing. You’ll deal with the stress when you get back and once it settles down a little and you can reflect on your vacation and your job you may even realize you missed it when you were gone.

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Kristie Koppe Galvani is the Senior Vice President at HJMT COMMUNICATIONS, LLC. She’s been with the firm for more than eight years and is in charge of business development and firm marketing.