Many people consider self-care to be simply another trendy concept, but let’s face it, traveling can be stressful. Therefore, it’s especially crucial to practice self-care while traveling— let’s be real, it can get stressful quickly. Nonetheless, many people believe it is only a term for spending money on oneself or treating oneself to something when trying to practice self-care while traveling, but it is so much more.
Practical Tips On How To Prioritize Your Self-Care On A Vacation With Stress-Free Travel
For some, this may be a spa day, however, for others, this can be going to sleep early and then sleeping in as part of the travel itinerary. If you’ve been struggling to find a balance and ran out of ideas on how to practice self-care while traveling, let me give you a hand based on my experience as a part-time digital nomad and therapist.
What Is Self-Care While Traveling?
This is such a good question as it’s exactly what it asks — what is self-care while traveling? Is it bubble baths in a hotel room? Is it maybe a spa day? Or just pizza with PJs in bed watching The Stranger Things? That’s the beauty of self-care while traveling, it’s completely up to you on how you create your self-care routine on trips. 
Take time to enjoy the moment
Practice Mental Hygiene For A Less Stressful Trip
Practicing mental hygiene for self-care while traveling means that you take intentional care of your mental health to prevent it from crashing.
This can mean:
- Listening to motivational podcasts
- Using calming techniques
- Listening to upbeat music when you’re feeling down,
- or even keeping your mind busy by doing a task you enjoy!
However, practicing mental hygiene also means sticking to your boundaries, things like making sure you prioritize your sleep – it’s ok to go to sleep early or sleep in while you travel!
Think about it this way: while these high-energy trips are fun, it’s important to slow down and focus on your wellbeing – Let’s try not to end up more tired than when we left! Understanding your limits and communicating your plans in advance will help you to keep your mental hygiene in check.
Decrease Stress and Practice Mindfulness By Taking a Moment For Yourself
Start your day by simply practicing mindfulness, take a few minutes out of your day to focus on your breathing, meditation, or even yoga — really tune into your feelings, emotions and focus on the present.
When it comes to practicing mindfulness, especially for self-care while traveling, many people don’t know how. They think of it as simply another fad. As a therapist I learned more about this than I’d be willing to write down here, ha. One thing I learned is that advantages far exceed any potential drawbacks of trying to learn it – yes, it takes practice! Think about mindfulness as a way to slow down time and disassemble whatever scenario you’re in so that you may get greater clarity – think of it like wiping a foggy window in a car. Mindfulness may be practiced in a variety of ways, from yoga, where you focus on your breath and each muscle in your body, to meditation, where you focus on your breath and watch each idea that flys your mind.
Think of thoughts as planes in sky — be an observer instead of a passenger.
So, just because you have thought coming by, it doesn’t mean that you need to attach yourself to them and go down the rabbit hole. Many people find themselves having many thoughts and not being able to just observe and acknowledge them yet, so they end up giving up on meditation — yet all it takes is some practice.
Another option is to practice gratitude is journaling (one of my faves!). It can help you reflect on these areas and even turn them into lifelong habits.
Not sure how to go about this? I’ve started using the 5-minute journal in the mornings and nights, and boy does that make a difference!
While it’s nice to lie on the beach and unwind, remember to nurture your mind and spirit while you’re there too.
Self-Care While Traveling – Isn’t Travel Is Self-Care In Itself?
Here are some examples of how to decrease the stress during your flight or road trip:
Make it the least stressful as possible by..
- Pack at least two outfits / or enough to freshen up in case your luggage gets lost or delayed! It’s better to be over-prepared than to barely have what you need.
- Have books/kindle/music on hand! Headphones are always great. They give you that time to yourself, in your thoughts if you’re staring out of an airplane or car window!
- Have a piece of paper like a bookmark or a material like a piece of cloth with some essential oils or cologne on it to calm you, lavender and eucalyptus are amazing ones to keep on hand!
- When you land depending on time and if it’s not too late, take a stroll to explore a little instead of sinking into bed to set the trip. Stretch out those muscles in a new town or a new coffee shop, get those legs moving again! It’ll set you up for a great trip
Think about the most stressful times during your last few trips — what were they? On your last trip you probably swore you’d never do specific things again, however, over time you likely forgot them. Try to remember them now so you can prepare yourself for what’s coming.
When it comes to things to do: While it’s common to want to run through all main attractions, ask yourself —is it worth the hassle? Many people just want to run through the maze of the city to get the best pictures, not that I judge because at times I find myself doing the same. However, if you’re there for a few days and you want to make the most out of your experience, why not narrow it down to just a few things and really take the time to enjoy them. This is another way to practice mindfulness and self-care as you’re traveling — believe me, you will find yourself much less stressed out and exhausted by the end of the day.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to see as many things as possible or get as many gorgeous and instagrammable pictures as you can. However, you can still do that by alternating “fast experiences” with “slow experiences” where you just to go for some quick pics versus where you want to stick around for a little and take it all in.
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Reflecting on Life and The Upcoming Travel
As I’m boarding a fight and take one step at a time closer to my seat, I start to mentally prepare myself for the flight — but it doesn’t stop there. Once I made myself comfortable, I start to mentally prepare myself to open up and letting go. This means, giving yourself the permission to relax and unwind on the upcoming trip — with a flexible and stress-free mindset, you can take this time off and simply sleep in, sunbathe by the pool or take your time browsing through the local markets.
Make sure you return from your vacation.. without needing another vacation to recover.
During the time of the flight, as a form of self-care,I like to think of both the upcoming travel but also on my life:
- Are my priorities still aligned with what I’m doing?
- Is my life the way I envisioned it would be?
- What’s missing in my life that I could add more of?
This may also be a great opportunity to journal — feel free to use these questions as journal prompts!
Self-care Ideas While On a Trip
If you’ve ran out of ideas for self-care activities while you’re traveling on a trip, here are a few suggestions that don’t include taking a bubble bath, writing in your journal, or practicing gratitude.
Take time off and just enjoy the moment
This goes back to mindfulness – but isn’t that what vacation is all about? Let go of your everyday stresses and forget about your responsibilities for a little moment of peace. Why would you want to stress also about something on the trip? Instead, take it fully off — this also means turning your notifications off. Enjoy every . . single . . moment!
Here are some quick ideas:
- Watch the sunrise/sunset
- Sit on a bench/bench chair and enjoy your favorite (or new?) tea or coffee
- Go on a walking trail and observe your surroundings
Everything always seems better with some type of fancy drink in your hand though, am I right? I’m a tea kind of gal, what about you?
Plan Ahead of Time
Prepare ahead of time and check the weather to avoid unneeded stress and rushing about. Spending a few additional minutes on this may have a significant impact on the success (or relaxation) of your trip.
Last January, I took a spontaneous weekend trip to Greece since I was already in Germany, and it was warm as you’d expect in Greece. Lucky for me, I’d remembered to bring a jacket since I’d checked the forecast before of time and assumed it would be warm no matter what season it was.
Have things already planned and have a back up list of things to do if weather strikes — but leave enough flexibility to have some relaxing time or just to stick around things a bit longer
Practice Normalcy
Traveling as a tourist, you’re certain to get exhausted at some time due to all the rushing about you do! Think about those tourists in the Disney movies that are walking around with their big shiny cameras trying to capture every moment without taking a breath. Why not consider a mix between normalcy and tourism?
You may be wondering now, what does “normalcy” entail when it comes to self-care while traveling?
In other words, you’ll visit the key sights, but you’ll also have time to unwind and do what makes you happy.
This can look like:
- Make yourself a cup of coffee and take some time to relax.
- Consider going to a comedy show or a play.
- Spend a little more time on the rooftop bar in the middle of the day sipping a cocktail.
- A few more minutes in bed in the morning to watch some television while you eat your breakfast of choice, such as leftovers or room service food.
Get creative! What would you do on a normal day off? Do some of that and be mindful of how you recharge, otherwise you may find yourself needing a vacation from the vacation!
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Self-TherapyThe Gratitude Journal : 5 Minute Journal a Day for More Happiness, Positivity, Affirmation, Productivity, Mindfulness & Self CarePractice mindfulness and enjoy the moment
- Start with a purpose and intention – This is best done first thing in the morning, before checking phones or emails
- Check in with yourself – Pause, take a breathe! Revisit your intention for that day. How is the quality of your communication? Are you experiencing mood shifts? Do you really want to do everything on your itinerary or are you forcing yourself to do them because it’s somehow expected from you?
- Give yourself what you need – Traveling can be both exciting and stressful at the same time, especially if you’re ignoring your needs to maximize your time. Seeing all the big attractions in Salem for Halloween or while you’re spending a weekend in Clearwater beach is one thing — skipping meals or drinking less to reduce the number of times you use the restroom is quite another.
Tip: If you’re not sure whether you’re giving your body everything it needs, scan it for tensions or soreness.
Turn Off Email Notifications
While this may seem like common sense to some, you may find yourself sneaking a peak at your emails nevertheless, even if you’ve sworn not too. The solution? Turn them off as soon as you get off of work. Your time is precious and more important than your job or business in that moment.
The time we’re being taken advantage of is over.
Even if you’re a digital nomad and work while you’re traveling, it’s important to keep a balance. Read here how I manage my time as I travel and work!
Get Enough Sleep
Travel may cause a lot of stress, both physical and emotional, which can lead to travel fatigue, which, as you might have guessed, can make it difficult to enjoy and remember your trip — quality sleep can make a huge difference.
Here’s what you can do:
- Go to bed early so that you’ll be able to get out of bed sooner and more rested — your circadian clock will thank you!
- Go to bed late, but sleep in — best of both worlds? You may still find yourself exhausted a lot of the time since your circadian clock is out of whack with this option. With this option you may miss out on the lack of people in the morning though in popular places
- Go to bed late, but get up early — While you may enjoy the best of both worlds during your travels, you will likely end up completely exhausted latest by day 3.. how enjoyable the rest of the trip is would be questionable. However, if it’s a week-long vacation, you may just enjoy the first few days and then run out of energy for the remainder of the time.
Tip: Consider letting the sun wake you up naturally for that extra push to get up that you can’t snooze.
Another thing is setting your night up for success and practice sleep hygiene.
Here’s what I mean: sleep hygiene is when you’re taking intentionally steps towards sleeping better.
Some examples:
- Prepare your evening with a relaxed environment. This can look anything from a bubble bath/whirlpool time to enjoying a cocktail on your patio with a view
- Stretch and maybe even do some yoga before sleeping to relax your body completely
- Use ear plugs for an undisturbed sleep, no matter where you are
- Wear a sleeping mask for an undisturbed sleep, no matter where you are
Both ear plugs and a sleeping mask are essentials for me, no matter where I am. Did you know, if you have ADHD that your brain can get bored while you’re asleep and wake you up to get some form of stimulation? Prevent that with a mask and plugs!
Some last thoughts..
Self-care isn’t always about bubble baths and spas (even though they’re part of it), but it’s also about finding yourself, increasing your confidence, spending time with yourself, and enjoying the moments that really make life worth living (or a trip worth having!).
It’s also about taking care of yourself the way you need or want to do it, rather than what you should do. For some it’s spending time alone, unplugging from social media or putting on a plain-ol face mask, these are all forms of self-care and are beneficial to your mental health and well-being
Self-care nourishes your mind, body and soul – this shouldn’t stop just because you are on vacation, take full advantage of the things that you want to do and what ultimately bring you joy – take charge, take care and take control of your thoughts and feelings, this awareness allows you to process feelings in a healthy way!
XO,
Anna
Anna is a traveler, blogger, and entrepreneur who can’t keep herself still. She’s always on the move, whether working hard on a new passion project or exploring a new city as a part-time digital nomad. Dare to keep up? Check out The Tatted Nomad for everything digital nomad, social media marketing, mental health, and travel (and to see her latest addition, Novah, her service dog and travel companion). As a psychotherapist (to be) she also offers insights about your mental health related questions – anything you see that isn’t covered but you have questions about? Let her know!
