The Dyson Return Bin
One of the most (ahem) interesting jobs I ever had was handling returns at Dyson.
When a vacuum cleaner leaves the warehouse, it’s perfect. Beautiful packaging, crisp box, everything wrapped neatly. Every piece exactly where it’s supposed to be.
Then the returns come back. And honestly? WOOF. What a mess.
Sometimes it was just a pile of random parts shoved into a bag. Dust everywhere. Missing pieces. Scuffed plastic. You could tell this thing had lived a life before it made its way back to us. And our job was to take that mess and slowly bring it back to a usable, refurbished state. Now, you might even say that we had become the vacuum cleaner.
In a Supply Chain environment, outbound product tends to follow a smooth, straight line.
Returns? Returns are always messy, nobody really knows what to do with them, they bunch up at different places along the chain and are usually a very low priority for companies.
This is, of course, true for us in our everyday life as well.
We Only Plan for Departure
We plan obsessively for the “going out” part of life.
Fun trips, upcoming events, big conferences, new launches and exciting to-dos.
We think about the packing list, the itinerary, the excitement, the energy.
But we almost never think about the returns process.
We don’t ask:
“What is this going to cost me to recover from?”
How long will it take me to get back into my normal routines?
How much energy will this use?
How much quiet time will I need afterward?
What will need to be cleaned up, reset, reorganized, or restored?
Because we’re not that different from returned Dyson vacuums.
We come back a little dusty, a little overstimulated, a little out of routine.
Building a Personal Returns Process
I think one of the biggest forms of self-kindness is building an intentional returns process for yourself.
For example, when I travel, one thing I almost always do is stay near the airport on the final night if I can. Mentally, this tells me that I’m on my way home.
I’ve removed all the variables I can, I’m as close to my departure location as I can be, and airport hotels are quite frankly, very boring.
The boring is the best part - It helps me mentally start transitioning home before I’m actually home. Then when I get home, I don’t try to “snap back” immediately.
I don’t suddenly become the world’s most optimized human because my suitcase crossed the threshold of my condo. Instead, I ease myself back into my regular habits.
I try to wake up at my normal time, even if I end up needing a nap later.
I go to bed ridiculously early if I need to (but I do this anyways, regardless of travel 😅)
I start walking my 10,000 steps again.
I grocery shop with a pre-planned “Get Back to Basics” list I keep in my phone - things I always need and require very little effort to put together.
I let myself re-enter ‘normal’ life slowly, giving myself a few days before I work towards any big goals or initiatives.
Other Things That Help
When was the last time you could have used a returns process?
Maybe after a particularity busy season at work, a period of high social activity, or any stretch of time where you were outside your comfort zone.
Travel aside, some other things that help me with returns processing:
I usually go back to something familiar. A comfort show. A familiar meal. A regular walking route. I think when my brain has been processing a lot of novelty or stimulation, familiarity helps me settle back into myself.
I try to put one thing back into place quickly, especially unpacking toiletries or anything else I’ll need quickly
I plug in ALL MY DEVICES to get them to fully recharge, knowing that I don’t need to quickly grab one of them and run out the door at 70%
If possible, I schedule a few “No Big Decision” Days and punt any major decisions until I’ve had time to recover. I know I’m not in my best headspace, and I trust I will have more energy to make a better decision - later.
The Real Lesson
Planning for the return can seem a little pessimistic.
What if everything goes perfectly? What if I’m not tired when I get home?
Well, great!
But if you are, aren’t you going to be grateful for past you planning a little bit in advance, and acknowledging that the returns are part of the process too?
