A few tips to maintain equilibrium while traveling.
Travel, as enjoyable and inspiring as it can be, has a way of throwing a wrench into the daily routines that bolster our well-being. As I get older, the disruption is more potent. I have come back from wonderful trips exhausted, constipated, and stressed out. This is even more likely if that travel is not for pleasure but more to care for a family member. But in the past year or two, I have discovered some small things that have allowed me to come back much less tired and with my gut health fairly stable. Below are some of my travel habits for each category of wellness.
Nutrition - Although I don’t think you have to give up the idea of enjoying some nice restaurant meals when travelling, I have found it helpful to anchor breakfast with my familiar foods. (You could do this with any meal, just choose one meal a day that will be entirely familiar.) We generally bring packets of unsweetened oatmeal along with peanut butter and my husband's cereal. I usually pack a few goodies to add to the oatmeal like raisins and walnuts (or have as snacks). Since I either book an Airbnb with a kitchen or get a motel room with a microwave and refrigerator at minimum, we can then pick up fresh or frozen berries and plant milks in order to provide a breakfast similar to what we would have at home. Even if we eat both lunch and dinner out, having our usual high fiber breakfast eases our bellies and sets us up for the day. It also saves money. In addition to breakfast, I make sure to have plenty of drinking water available in the room to combat dehydration and constipation. For eating out, I eat whatever plant based food I want and don’t worry about perfect nutrition. No need to add any stress to the experience!
Enjoyable exercise - We seek out walking wherever we go. Whether it is touring a museum, historic site, or just an interesting neighborhood, for us it is a vital part of seeing new places. We often walk more on vacation than we do at home! If it is hot I also make a beeline for the nearest pool or beach and go swimming. For short trips I don’t worry too much about the strength routines I do at home, but I have occasionally done a strength routine with some exercise bands or body weight and a YouTube video on the TV. Having one or two good videos picked out ahead of time is motivating and saves scrolling later.
Sound Sleep - This is really the category that I have always struggled with the most. For most of my life I haven’t slept that well, and in a strange place it is even worse. At home I have implemented many sleep hygiene practices that have helped, but travelling doesn’t give you as much control over your environment. For instance, sleep hygiene protocols forbid electronics in the bedroom and you can’t usually control that in a hotel room. But I have developed some habits that help. First, I always bring an inexpensive plug-in nightlight. I pick them up at the hardware store so that I always have a couple on hand for trips, because I tend to leave them behind. This means that when we get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night we do not have to turn on those harsh overhead bathroom lights that stimulate your brain when you want to be able to go back to sleep. Second, I bring along some small post-it notes in a saturated color, not the pale yellow, to put over the annoying little lights on the TV and microwave that shine so brightly in the middle of the night. They don’t block it entirely, but it helps. You can also bring electrical tape instead if you happen to have it. I don’t like the feeling of a sleep mask personally but of course that is also a really good solution. I always bring earplugs to muffle the sound of hotel doors and possible loud noises outside as well. Beyond the environment, it helps to keep to your sleep schedule as much as possible.
Stress Management - If you haven’t already learned a stress management technique, start now! Breathing techniques, mindfulness, and tapping require no equipment, and are therefore perfect for travel. I find using a calming breathing technique before sleep helps me get over the unfamiliar environment I am sleeping in, especially on the first night there. This is usually the technique I go to, because it also doesn’t require the privacy and quiet you would want for meditation and tapping. Yoga is wonderful too if you have a travel mat or don’t mind using a hotel towel on the rug.
Community and Relationships - Don’t overlook this one! Unless you are traveling with a big group of loved ones, you may be missing family, pets, neighbors and friends and not even realize it. Even someone like me, who absolutely thrives on exploring, can sometimes feel disconnected in a hotel room or unfamiliar house or apartment. Take some time in the evening to send pictures of your trip or text a check-in to a few people. If you are alone, call someone! I have found this surprisingly effective at helping me feel grounded when I am far away from my friends and family.
Obviously healthy habits will always be disrupted by travel, but it is absolutely possible to minimize it. And when you get back, you may feel refreshed and be eager to reset your lifestyle in new ways!
Written by a human.