When Your Vacation Leaves You More Exhausted Than Work

Vacations are fun until you come back more drained than when you left.

I’m very fortunate to have the privilege to travel and the ability to take time off, but in this phase of life, time is the most precious resource. In a world where most of us work 9 to 5 (or longer), our free time is limited. So when we finally take a break, we want to make the most of it. But “making the most of it” often turns into a race against the clock rather than time to reset.

A Race Against the Calendar

After feeling mentally drained at work, I planned a two-week vacation hoping it would give me the reset I needed. But like many others, I crammed in as much as I could. Why? Because time off is limited. Because I don’t know when I’ll get this chance again.

Due to a delayed visa, I booked all my flights last minute and had to execute a tightly packed itinerary with more than 13 cities and villages.

Eleven flights. Over 30 hours on the road. Countless steps walked and places explored. And somewhere along the way, my body started waving the white flag.

Grateful, But Tired

This was a trip full of beautiful memories, unexpected moments, and plenty of joy. I feel incredibly lucky to have done it. But I also feel completely depleted.

Instead of feeling mentally refreshed and physically recharged, I’m coming back to work more exhausted than I was before I left. I’m now dreaming of a one-week vacation just to sleep.

I’m not sharing this to brag. Quite the opposite. I think we need to talk about how broken the system is.

The Problem Isn't the Vacation

I love traveling. I love exploring new cities, cultures, and people. But I also love slowing down and being present—and there wasn’t enough room for that on this trip.

When our time off is so limited, we feel the pressure to maximize every second. We rush from place to place. We skip rest in the name of experience. And then we return to our lives, expected to perform at full capacity like we didn’t just go through a marathon disguised as a vacation.

It’s not a personal failure—it’s a structural one. We live in a system that prioritizes work over rest, hustle over pause, and output over well-being. We’re trained to squeeze the most out of our “free” time instead of truly enjoying it.

What I Need Now

Honestly? A weekend to do nothing. No alarms. No plans. Just quiet, rest, and a chance to let my body and brain catch up with each other.

Because maybe a vacation isn’t supposed to be a checklist of cities. Maybe it’s supposed to be a return to yourself.