One of the best parts about traveling is that we get to break away from the routine. Whenever we’re stuck in a rut and feeling uninspired, going away somewhere can really help us get our mojo back and heal our spirit.
However, sometimes this freedom makes us careless, and the fact that we’re on vacation makes us feel like we can be on vacation from everything—even our health. We think that we don’t have to eat well, exercise, or take care of ourselves if we’re in a different place, so even a pleasant trip to a beautiful location results in us returning home feeling like we didn’t get any rest at all.
So, what can a clever traveler do to maintain their wellbeing regardless of where they are? We have a few tips, so if you want to enjoy good health, here’s what you can do.
New ways to exercise
Going away somewhere is actually the perfect opportunity to switch up your exercise routine. While taking 20 minutes to do your daily workout is a great idea, you can also swim, hike, take long walks, run by the beach, practice yoga, or even try your hand at the local sports—basically, do whatever’s available to you and enjoy yourself. This way you’ll stay in shape, but you’ll be doing something new and interesting. When you return home, your old routine will seem entirely fresh and you’ll remember why you enjoy it so much in the first place.
Small things, like walking instead of taking public transportation all the time, can significantly improve your physical activity levels, and it’s important to keep moving if you don’t want to fall into that exhausted stupor and spend your whole vacation sleeping in the hotel room.
Don’t forget your daily meditation
Absolutely everyone can benefit from daily meditation, and traveling doesn’t have to mean you’ll be forced to break your good habit. While it can be a little tricky to find your focus and quiet your mind in an unfamiliar environment, it’s a good idea to actually embrace the fact that things are different. You can let the new experience wash over you while still remaining calm and centered. Bringing your favorite meditation tracks with you can definitely help with this, and you can also bring your prayer beads, favorite cushion, or anything else that’s familiar and that helps you focus.
Travel to heal
Traveling can heal both your body and your mind, especially if you seek to rebuild your confidence and feel better in your own skin. For example, in certain temples in India, there is an ancient pre-Buddhist practice of “vipassana.” It means to see things as they really are, and it’s basically a form of meditation sought through peace, silence, and stillness. If you want to feel better, then planning your trip around something like this is actually a great idea.
Another thing you should also try is massage. In China, and particularly Hong Kong, the art of professional massage is taken to a whole new level and people don’t see it as some form of luxury, but a necessity. For a modern-day person who lives at a very fast pace every day, this is a form of stress management that they engage in for the sake of both their mental and physical health.
In Bali, on the “Island of Gods,” travelers come just for the sake of yoga. The island is considered to be blessed, and people go there to get in touch with their spirituality and let their body heal through exercise.
As you can see, your wellbeing and happiness can be the entire point of the trip, so don’t be afraid to dedicate all your time to getting better and coming back home rejuvenated.
Eat mindfully
While you should definitely indulge in new and interesting tastes of different cultures, be mindful of your gut health. Carry a bottle of probiotics with you and stay well hydrated by sipping plain water every half an hour, and know when it’s time to stop indulging. Listen to your stomach and try to eat more mindfully. Savor each bite slowly, and if you’ve had a big lunch, try to keep your dinner light. To avoid gorging on fast food, bring some healthy snacks with you whenever you go sightseeing and exploring.
Keep your skin lush
Our skin is very important, too. Dry air on planes and a new climate can really wreak havoc on it, and you probably don’t want to spend your vacation with a patchy complexion. Nurturing your skin with good serums and moisturizers can make you look radiant, and looking good will make you feel good. Bring a few sheet masks so you could rehydrate after a long plane ride, and try to skip heavy makeup—tinted moisturizers will work much better in your favor because they won’t clog the pores.
Don’t let yourself go through your vacation in a haze of overindulgence. Caring gently for your wellbeing and using this time away to recuperate both your mind and spirit will fill you with energy and motivation, so put yourself first and keep your health safe.
Sophia Smith is a beauty and style blogger, a graphic designer and a DIY enthusiast. She is a big fan of basics with a twist. Sophia writes mostly about beauty-related topics in her articles. She has contributed to a number of publications including: LA Fashion, Viva Glam Magazine, Just Haves, Whytt Magazine, How to Simplify and Carousel.
