Travelling can disrupt your health and wellness routines. It’s normal for these routines to be challenging during travel, but maintaining your status quo doesn’t have to be complicated. Instead of worrying about it or abandoning all your hard work, let’s explore some areas and tips that will inspire you for your next trip.
Forming and maintaining good habits is essential, especially during the holidays when routines are easily disrupted. Prioritising your health not only helps you stay on track but also enhances your overall travel experience and provides you with better energy and a more balanced mindset. For more on the importance of habit formation, check out this article from the World Economic Forum.
Food Tips
Keep It Simple: Eat three meals a day. If the time between meals is too long, add a snack. A little bit of mindful planning goes a long way!
- Prioritise fresh fruit, vegetables and protein: Keep carbs small but include them. Choose nutrient-dense foods and avoid processed and refined versions whenever possible. A dessert here or there can be okay, but be mindful.
- Opt for simple snacks like fresh fruit and nuts.
Hydrate: bring a water bottle and drink plenty of water. It’s a game-changer for your energy levels!
- On the Plane:
- Airplane food is often high in sodium and heavily processed. You don’t need to eat every meal they serve. One meal every 5-6 hours is enough.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol when flying.
- Consider Fasting: Especially if your flight is mostly at night.
- Bring simple snacks with you (fruit, nuts, raw veggies)
- During a Road Trip: Bring your food, pack snacks and drink water in small sips to avoid frequent bathroom breaks. Stick to simple snacks like nuts and fruit.
- At a Hotel: A good breakfast sets the tone for the day and helps maintain balanced blood sugar levels.
- Eating Out: Mindful Ordering & Focus on Ingredients.
- Avoid:
– The breadbasket, especially when it’s served before your food - Do Differently:
– Share a dessert instead of having one just for you
– Order two appetisers instead of an appetiser and main dish
– Order a side dish with vegetables to increase your vegetable intake
- Avoid:
- Eating at Someone’s Home:
- If asked, share your dietary needs, but keep it simple.
- Bring a Dish: Bring something you enjoy to share with others.
- Staying at Someone’s Home:
- Set Boundaries: If your eating habits differ, set boundaries early in a positive and light-hearted manner. Ask if you can prepare some meals in their kitchen.
- Respect: Don’t judge your host’s way of eating. Just do your thing and respect what they are doing.
Exercise Tips
Despite your best intentions, your exercise routine probably won’t make it during the holidays. Find other ways to stay active. Seek activities that keep you active throughout.
– Daily Steps: Check your daily steps to create awareness of your activity levels.
– Morning Walks: If you can, go for walks in the morning. It helps wake you up, creates endorphins, makes you happier and is a great way to start your day.
Sleep Tips
Maintain Routine: Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day.
Combatting Jetlag:
1. Switch to your destination’s time zone as soon as you board the plane.
2. Avoid naps during the day.
3. Avoid caffeine 10 hours before your bedtime.
4. Early Wake-Ups: If you wake up early, listen to a meditation or go for a walk.
Mindset Tips
Managing Stress & Emotions:
1. HALT Check-In: Regularly check if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. Addressing these can help you manage your emotions better.
2. Label Discomfort: Take a moment when you notice discomfort. Breathe deeply and label your emotion(s). For example, acknowledge by saying, “I feel anxious because of the flight delay.”
3. Gratitude List: Write a gratitude list, even if you don’t feel like it. It helps combat frustration, especially on rough days, and it helps you see the bigger picture.
4. Handling Frustrations: When things go wrong, take a deep breath and assess the situation calmly before reacting.
5. Acceptance: Accept what you can’t change, focus on what you can change, and know the difference between the two.
Conclusion
You will find, at times, it’s a bit of a balancing act. But by keeping a few important things in mind, you will make that holiday more enjoyable, I promise!
- Keep it simple
- Drink plenty of water
- Plan mindfully around meals
- Keep a good rest routine
- Prioritise me-time for healthy boundaries
- Accept what you can’t change and breathe
- Stay curious rather than judgmental when around others
Enjoy yourself, have lots of fun and laughter, and enjoy the people more than the food.
Tanja
World Economic Forum: healthy habit formation is key: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/04/healthy-habit-formation-public-health/
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