First day of vacation. And it's raining.
You may have been looking forward to it for weeks. Counting down. Thinking that when vacation comes, then…
Then you'll feel calm. Free. Inspired. Your energy will return, routines will be replaced by presence, and your days will be filled with things that make you feel good.
But then that first day comes. And it rains. And you don't feel particularly harmonious – rather restless, down, or perhaps even a little empty. It can feel like an anticlimax. But it's not strange. It's normal.
After a long period at a high pace – whether you've been working intensely, managing the household, being available to others, or just "holding it together" – both your body and nervous system need time to understand that it's okay to let go.
Many people actually become more stressed right when their vacation starts. When emails quiet down and the calendar thins out, a void arises – and that void is often filled with what we haven't had time to feel before.
It could be tiredness. Worry. A feeling of being out of sync. Or just… not quite knowing what to do with yourself. And you know what? That's perfectly fine. You don't have to chase the feeling of leisure. You can settle into it, slowly.
For parents – an extra note for you
If you have children at home, the feeling can intensify. You might feel a nagging guilt when you don't have the energy to activate, play, come up with something, or be as happy and energetic as you wish. Especially on a rainy day when everything is slow and the children have ants in their pants.
But children also need days without a schedule. They need to experience that it's okay to just be – that there is value in slowness and rest. When you let go of the demands that everything should be "perfect vacation fun," you show them something even more important: that it's human to pause.
And that a calm day is not a lost day.
Self-care for rainy vacation days
Here are some simple ways to take care of yourself when energy is low and the weather doesn't invite excursions:
– Take a long bath or shower with lit candles and relaxing music
– Put on a face mask and give yourself a slow facial massage
– Change bedding, put on something soft, and rest with a movie in the middle of the day
– Put on an audiobook and take a few minutes in silence with a cup of tea or coffee
– Bake something simple that smells comforting: banana bread, scones, or sponge cake
– Allow yourself to do… nothing
– Write down your feelings and thoughts – without the pressure of it having to become "something"
– Go out in the rain with an umbrella and headphones – listen to music that calms you
– Light a candle even in the middle of the day and just sit for a while
Remind yourself:
Rest is not laziness – it is an active act. A form of presence.