Mental & Physical Health Tips for Traveling

There is nothing better than exploring the gems that are waiting to be discovered in a new city. The cobblestone roads that lead you to a locally hidden restaurants at which you end up having the most amazing meal of your life. The sights that you can never un-see because they’re that beautiful. You put that one picture as the background of your phone or screen savor on your laptop, but it just doesn't do it justice. Yeah, I know all too much about that feeling.

I have traveled quite a lot for only being 25 years old. The travel bug really hit me when I studied abroad for my fall semester of my junior year in college. I studied in Rome, Italy at John Cabot University while attaining my English degree. Of course I wasn’t solely there to better my writing, but being present in a beautiful and inspiring country made it easier. I traveled to as many countries and cities as I could in Western Europe.

I have also traveled out of the country with my family quite a bit, which are my favorite trips and I look forward to them every other year. I am extremely fortunate to have had these opportunities and I will always cherish those experiences. When I travel out of the country, I don’t usually worry about my health routine because I am way more concerned with enjoying myself and being present with where I am in the world. Trust me, it’s definitely taken me a while to get to that point and be able to kick the anxiety to the back seat. When I travel locally or domestically, that is when I try to remain consistent with my health routine. I traveled a lot my first year out of college and having lives in a new city in California for the past 2 years, I have learned some travel tricks that have kept me feeling balanced. I wish I had these tricks for my semester abroad, but wouldn't trade that trip for anything in my entire lifetime.

Full Disclosure: Please keep in mind that these tricks are solely based off of my personal experience

1. My first recommendation would be to ditch your entire vitamin cabinet and leave it behind. You will survive without it, I promise. I normally only take a total of 4 supplements anyway— 2 in the form of a powder and 2 in the form of a pill. You can read more about my supplement health routine here. The one thing that I would recommend taking with you is some sort of probiotic whether it be a powder to mix into water, or in the form of a pill. This will keep your gut feeling smooth, which can be disrupted during travel due to anxiety, insomnia, irregular foods that you're eating, etc. I recommend taking it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with a full glass of water. My recent obsession is a brand called Rae that I found at Target. I love it because it's a pre + probiotic and the company is a huge advocate for women's health specifically. The only other thing that I bring with me is my magnesium to take at night. This helps keep me from getting backed up and helps to regulate my sleep patterns while I'm away from your own bed.

2. Don’t even try to count calories or worry about macros. I am being very real on this one. If you’ve been tracking for years on end and it’s just the way you eat then by all means, do you. I’m not going to discourage that because it’s not impossible. However, if you’re starting out or thinking about exploring that way of life, I would not suggest starting during travel. The reason being is you don't want to make it the sole focus of your trip. It can really be an added stressor that will take away from your ability to physically and mentally enjoy where you are in the world. I’m not saying throw away your nutrition, but rather enjoy your time wherever you are without creating stress associated with food. You can still eat good food and feel good while in a different place, in fact I think it's the perfect opportunity to explore local unique dishes wherever you are. It would be a shame to look back and only remember the amazing looking pasta that you didn't eat. Your diet, fitness routine, whole30, etc. will still be there when you return home.

3. Be intuitive. I am also not saying to go off the rails with food and just not care about what you put into your body. Being intuitive with your body is so much more than just realizing when you're hungry and when you can happily put down the last french fry. The way your body functions is the most important thing, especially when you are out of your norm and in a different place. You have a huge bowl of pasta and it’s the most amazing thing since the last batch of HU kitchen chocolate brownies that you baked in your kitchen a few days ago, but it makes you feel bloated and you have gut issues the entire next day. It’s OK to be bummed and it's OK to have enjoyed the pasta. But it’s also OK to decide that you don’t want to eat pasta anymore because you don’t want to feel like that again. Obviously this pertains to more than just pasta, but if you are craving a fresh salad or a healthy meal and that’s what’s going to give you pure bliss, then go for it. I put a lot of pressure on myself while traveling in Italy to try every pasta dish and not pass up another gelato stand that I soon found myself in physical pain and realized that it wasn't necessary to eat that way every single day. Your body goes with you everywhere and carries you through these memories so honor its wants, but also respect its needs.

4. Take advantage of the local spots. Go off the beaten path, literally. Explore that random road and get lost. You’ll be so happy that you did.

5. Consume the freshness. Order food that the city or country is known for. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed in your meal. It might be different than what you usually order, but I challenge you to be adventurous. Head to the farmer’s market and get fresh fruit and vegetables, or opt for a freshly made croissant at the corner bakery. Embrace the eclectic options that venture outside of your norm and that you aren't typically exposed to. It will be the most memorable thing.

6. Take pictures. I know this goes against a lot of people’s usual advice of “get your face out of your phone,” but I’m not telling you to immerse yourself in it. While a picture can be worth a thousand words, what you see with your own eyes will forever remain in your memory. That being said, I am so beyond grateful that I took a lot of pictures on all of my trips because I have those memories in scrap books, for my blog posts, hung up and framed, reminding me of where I have been and where I still want to go. Try to capture more candid shots of places that you want to remember, food that made your taste buds feel some type of way, and things that made you feel happy on the trip. If anything, I would say to get off of social media because that’s when we tend to be stuck in the world through the screen rather than what’s in front of us.

7. Moving helps. Similar to how your nutrition will be waiting for you, so will your usual gym routine but movement really can be a form of medicine. Walk around, go on bike tours, hit up the gym for a sweat sesh if you're up for it. When we are new places sometimes anxiety levels can spike and mindful movement can really combat that and calm your stress levels. For those days that you feel like you’ve indulged way too much or you have the excess energy, take advantage of your healthy body and move it around that glorious city you’re in.

8. Rest when you need it. This also goes back to intuition. You know the difference between being mentally exhausted from being so tired that you need a nap. Don’t think that you have to be constantly on your feet doing things 24/7 on your trip. This sounds hypocritical of me saying take advantage of the city, but if that means going on a long walk or having breakfast with a view compared to getting up for a 5am workout, ask yourself how you’d rather spend your energy. What’s more important to you? Be intuitive and realize when your mind and your body need rest because a vacation is supposed to be relaxing. Do you want to return home feeling refreshed, or drained from trying to constantly keep up with your routine that you’ll just continue when you get home?

9. Fast while Flying. I don't know if anyone has ever told you to try this, but it changed my life. It does wonders for your digestive system. The concept is supposed to promote healthier digestion not only because you are physically not eating, but because when we travel through time at a higher altitude our bodies are not using the same amount of energy to digest food as we normally would. Obviously if you need something to eat on your 12 hour long flight, definitely do not deprive yourself but if you decide to give it a try I promise you will feel energized when you land and ready to take on the city.

10. Lots. Of. Water. This might be the most important tip of all. Stay hydrated as much as you can and when in doubt, chug it out. Traveling while dehydrated is the worst possible feeling. Being robbed of your energy and feeling too drained to do the things you want to do is not fun. Carry your own water bottle if you need to and sip throughout the day to support your mood and activity levels.

11. Come back home feeling refueled and ready to tackle your life that is right in front of you. If you come back from your trip feeling tired, anxious, or irritable rather than refreshed, inspired, or enlightened then you’re doing it wrong. I totally understand not wanting to head back to reality, but use your vacation time to appreciate what brought you there in the first place. I hope these have been helpful and I hope you enjoy wherever you're going :)

Stay vibrant!

Lindsay