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What a week!! Beyond the Prescription is out in the world—and it’s got LEGS. I’ve appeared on CNN and Morning Joe, was published in TIME, and I stood in Times Square watching my own face on the Nasdaq Tower, which is a sentence I never expected to type. None of this would have happened without you. And to the nearly 2,000 of you who’ve joined this community in the past month: welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.
Now let’s talk about what happens after the party.
Because the last three weeks have been PARTY TIME for me. Lots of Aperol spritzes, gourmet dinners, late nights, and not nearly enough sleep. Not much exercise either between jet lag and book launch chaos. Basically my routines went out the window.
So here I am, under-slept, craving a routine, longing for home-cooked meals instead of restaurant food. And it’s funny how it works with sweets—the more you eat them, the more you crave them. It’s time to rein in that sweet tooth! But let me be clear: I have NO REGRETS about falling off the healthy wagon temporarily. Health is about enjoying yourself, too.
So, today I want to tell you what the reset looks like for me—mentally, physically, and logistically—and what I recommend to my patients this time of year, when so many of us are staring down the end of summer and feeling the pull back toward routine.
The short story: it’s not about self-flagellation. It’s not about strict, punitive measures. Getting back into healthy habits shouldn’t be looked at as a punishment but as a reward for your body and mind (albeit a different kind of reward than tucking into cookies at midnight with your best friend from high school).
Step one is self-compassion.
Practice forgiveness for having fun, which, let's remember, is GOOD for you. Yesterday I told a patient who stopped going to the gym all summer not to spend so much time criticizing herself in front of the mirror and to channel that energy into lifting heavy weights—tomorrow. For me, what this looks like in practice is that last night, as I sat down to write this, I had a bowl of ice cream despite having told myself this last weekend was the end of sweets for a bit. I didn't beat myself up. I soaked in the pleasure of Chunky Monkey and told myself: let's start again tomorrow.
Step two is setting yourself up for success.
This means not planning anything rigid or extreme, because rigidity is a setup for failure. Don’t plan to exercise EVERY day when you resume. Don’t commit to NEVER having sweets after a vacation full of desserts. Remember that you have a real life with real limitations on your time and energy—then figure out what’s realistic. For me, that means committing to one yoga class this week and a walk after work three times. It means skipping dessert until the weekend—but not refusing it when I’m out with friends Saturday night. Moderation, not restriction.
(And for what it’s worth: I never get on a scale. That’s not a tool that helps me. This isn’t about my weight—it’s about feeling good, which I do when I’m not overloaded on sugar, alcohol, and late nights.)
Step three is meeting your basic biological needs before anything else.
Sleep. Movement. Nutritious eating. Limiting alcohol. Taking care of your mind—resting your brain, practicing calm. These are the non-negotiables, and they come before everything else. For example, if I’m not getting enough rest at night, I won’t watch a show on Netflix before bed—even if it’s restful and fun—because sleep comes first.
Step four is engaging a friend or partner to join you.
Accountability is key when you’re resetting habits. I’ll resume my regular Tuesday evening walks with Jen when she’s back from her trip—because I might cancel on myself, but I definitely won’t cancel on her. For my patients who have a hard time motivating to exercise any time of the year, I always suggest pairing exercise with something they love—music, another person, a supportive community like at a local yoga studio. The best exercise for you is the one you will actually do.
Step five is don’t beat yourself up when the reset isn’t a straight line.
It won’t be. Give yourself permission to slip up, to revert to vacation brain every now and then. It’s okay. I told a patient recently, who came back from vacation remorseful over the weight she’d gained, to just do the best she can on reentry. Habits are more likely to stick when you’re kind to yourself and simply start over the next day.
Oh, and the very last step? Pat yourself on the back when you’ve stuck with it.
I will be VERY pleased with myself if I actually make it to yoga, take my walks, and go back to eating vegetables instead of dips and cheese and sweet things. I’ll also feel so much better—which is, after all, the whole point.
So that’s my reset. Not a punishment but rather a reward of a different kind. Whether you’re just coming back from a trip, a college drop-off, or a summer staycation, it’s always a good time to press control-alt-delete on your health habits. Just don’t delete your whole mindset that gave you a good break in the first place.
What does your post-vacation reset look like? I’m all ears!
I wrote Beyond the Prescription with you in mind. It is a roadmap for navigating your health in real life without perfectionism, pseudoscience, or shame.
You can order your copy at Amazon, Bookshop.org, or Barnes & Noble.
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The useful bit here is the absence of punishment. A reset after travel is usually boring: sleep, walking, normal meals, fewer late drinks, and no grand speech about becoming a new person by Monday. Adults need a return path, not a courtroom.
Congratulations on your book Lucy.
My biggest reset is to absorb way less daily news. Just PBS and Heather Cox Richardson (who lives in Maine). Glances at headlines in NYTIMES which I try (often w/o success) not to let myself get too absorbed in and worked up over. I'm not "head in the sand" and do what I I can do - inaction is not an option - but it's about balance. Being away from the news while on vacation is renewing. Reentry is a challenge.