Why Your Holidays Are Leaving You Drained — And How I Returned From Mine Stronger Than When I Left
Most high-performing leaders take holidays with the intention of recharging. But if you’re anything like I used to be, you probably know this pattern all too well:
You get away, you “switch off,” you relax…
But you return home feeling sluggish, out of sync, and 10 steps behind on your goals.
Sound familiar?
I’ve just returned from a two-week trip to Bali with my wife and son — and for the first time in my career, I came home in better shape than when I left.
This hasn’t been the case previously. For years, my version of a “holiday” was sitting by the pool with a few beers, eating average food, watching my son swim, and flicking through a book I’d forget about weeks later. I thought that was relaxing. I assumed I was recharging.
The truth? I wasn’t recovering. I was retreating.
Relaxing vs Recharging — There’s a Difference
When I returned from family holidays in the past, I’d feel:
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Drained, not restored
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Sloppy and off-rhythm
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Mentally flat, lacking clarity
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Frustrated that I’d set myself back
And I’d tell myself the story most leaders do: “It’s okay, I just need to get back into routine.”
But the truth was, I didn’t have clarity on what actually fuels me. I was confusing comfort with recovery.
The Turning Point
After a trip in May 2025, I said to my wife:
“I’m never going on another holiday unless I can maintain a few simple non-negotiables.”
Those non-negotiables were clear:
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Access to a gym every day
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Strong Wi-Fi so I can protect time for deep work if required
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Access to decent, quality food
She supported it — and helped plan our next holiday around those three things. That trip? The one we’ve just returned from?
It was the best family holiday we’ve ever had.
Not because we did more.
Not because we spent more.
But because I stayed aligned with the things that give me energy.
My Holiday Routine (That Felt Nothing Like Discipline)
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Wake up early, while the family was still sleeping
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Jump on a Grab Bike to a local gym (no fancy setup — just the essentials)
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Train
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Coffee + protein smoothie
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Head back to the resort
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Meditate
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Spend the day fully present with my wife and son — exploring, swimming, laughing
I also made the decision to stop drinking alcohol. That alone helped me:
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Eat better
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Sleep deeper
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Stay clear-minded
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Avoid the bloated, sluggish feeling I used to normalise
It sounds obvious, but here’s the hard truth for many leaders:
In the environments designed to help us unwind, we stop doing the exact things that make us feel our best.
Leaders Often Lose Their Edge When They Stop Prioritising Their Energy
I work with leaders who struggle to maintain their standards when travelling for business. Late dinners with clients. Skipped workouts. Bad sleep. Airports. Hotel food. It all compounds.
But the problem isn’t any of those things.
It’s the lack of preparation.
If you’re losing 10 steps every time you step outside your normal environment, it’s not a travel problem. It’s a clarity and systems problem.
The Challenge
Before your next trip — whether it’s for work or with your family — ask yourself:
“What are the non-negotiables I need in place to protect my energy and stay aligned?”
It might be:
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A hotel with a gym
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Scheduled movement
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Two hours blocked for deep work
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No alcohol
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A morning routine you actually honour
Those 1% actions are the difference between returning refreshed or returning resentful.
Because as a leader, your energy sets the tone — at work and at home.
The Takeaway
High-performing leaders don’t burn out because they do too much.
They burn out because they do too much misaligned.
Your energy isn’t something you “get back on track after holidays” — it’s something you protect before, during and after them.
So I’ll leave you with this:
Do your next holiday on your terms — not your old habits.
Your family will get the best of you.
Your business will benefit from it.
And you won’t need “three days to reset” when you get home.
Free Tool for Leaders
I’ve built a simple Energy Audit Tool to help leaders identify what gives them energy, what drains it, and how to align their time around the things that matter most.
👉 If you’d like it, just message me “ENERGY”, and I’ll send it to you.
Win at work without losing at home.
Dan Richards
Leadership Coach | Creator of Cut Through Clarity
