3608: How to Practice Self Care When Travelling by Jennifer Burger of SimplyFiercely

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[00:00:55] This is Optimal Living Daily. How to practice self-care when traveling. By Jennifer Berger with SimplyFiercely.com. And I'm Justin Malek, here to help you find a little bit of extra inspiration, motivation, and happiness in your day. So with that, let's get right to it and start optimizing your life. How to practice self-care when traveling. By Jennifer Berger with SimplyFiercely.com.

[00:01:24] It's kind of hard to believe, but I'm currently five weeks into my seven-month round-the-world trip. I spent nearly a year planning and impatiently waiting, so sometimes I need to pinch myself because it doesn't seem real that I'm actually here. If you're curious, here is currently Spain, where I'm spending my days eating tapas, drinking red wine, and exploring adorable cobblestone streets. On the flip side, though, five weeks is long enough that the initial holiday feeling has started to fade.

[00:01:53] It no longer feels strange to wake up in a strange hotel room or to be constantly living out of a backpack. Don't get me wrong, I'm still having an amazing time, and I'm very aware that I'm 10,000 miles away from my office. But the buzz, the crazy, relentless energy that you feel when you first start traveling has begun to abandon me. The truth is, I'm feeling a bit scattered at times. Maybe it's a mix of getting older, blogging, and planning a wedding.

[00:02:22] But for some reason, I'm not feeling as present as I normally do when I travel. I've got a restless mind, and to be honest, the aforementioned steady diet of wine and tapas isn't leaving my body feeling the greatest either. What this is reminding me is that self-care is always important, especially when traveling. Here are the steps I'm following to get myself back on track and ready to take on the next 23 weeks.

[00:02:49] Number one, don't abandon your normal self-care habits. Alright, this is a big one. When I was at home and working full-time, I made looking after myself a priority. Even with a busy schedule, I found time to write in my journal, meditate, or go to a yoga class. All the little things that helped keep my head from imploding. However, since I've been traveling, I've let myself believe that because I'm having fun and away from my normal stress,

[00:03:18] my body and mind will automatically take care of itself. No, apparently it doesn't work that way, but it's okay. The truth is, I like my normal self-care habits, so moving forward, I'll be taking steps to build a routine that works for me on the road. If you don't have a self-care routine, some travel-friendly ideas you can include are... Meditate. I use the Simply Being Guided Meditation app. This is downloaded on my phone, so there's no reason not to use it from anywhere.

[00:03:48] Sketch or color. I picked up an adult coloring book at Bangkok Airport, and I confess that I love it. The hubby is teasing me relentlessly, but it helps me chill out. It's particularly good if you can't quite get into meditation. Journal. Write lists, record the day's events, or my personal favorite, explore and review your values. I'm kind of obsessed with values.

[00:04:11] I wrote a post all about it, but the quick and dirty is, make sure the life you live on the outside equals the life your heart wants most on the inside, which equals being happy. And move. I love to find yoga classes while traveling, but in truth, I'm too lazy. I'll occasionally practice yoga on my own, but realistically, I just try to fit in some stretching and lots of walking. Number two, turn off the travel talk.

[00:04:39] There have been some days on this trip when I feel like the only thing the hubby and I talk about is our travel plans. Where are we going for dinner? When are we visiting this or that? And when does the bus leave? Whether you're traveling with a partner, friends, or even alone, I think it's important to find time to talk about anything else but travel. Don't get me wrong, I love talking about travel and making plans, but I also know that I need downtime so that travel stays fun and not an unpleasant chore.

[00:05:10] Number three, don't feel guilty about skipping must-see attractions or about doing absolutely nothing. Even though my brain knows this, I have to admit this is sometimes hard to do in my real travel life. Over the past few weeks, I've definitely felt guilty when I've spent a few minutes vegging on the sofa or sleeping in or writing this blog. In the back of my mind, I'm worried I'm missing out on something.

[00:05:35] But the truth is, being free to do what you please is one of the best parts about travel. Having a must-see list and beating yourself up about following it creates unnecessary stress and pressure, which can really wear you down when you're traveling. Number four, eat fuel and drink water. I am a food person and exploring new restaurants and trying new things is one of the highlights of travel for me. I've even chosen to visit certain countries just because I'm food dreaming.

[00:06:05] This might be the reason I keep returning to Thailand over and over again. Now, I won't pretend that I'm going to give up indulging in local treats, but my body is telling me I need to find more balance. I'm working towards reducing my portion sizes, occasionally choosing food for fuel, and drinking more water than wine. Number five, allow yourself a few comforts. I'm a mostly budget traveler, and I'm traveling around the world with carry-on luggage only,

[00:06:33] which means I don't have room in my budget or my bags for many luxuries. But every once in a while, indulging in small comforts does wonders for your soul. A silk pillowcase, scented moisturizer or essential oil, or an occasional hotel upgrade can revive your spirits and really help you feel energized after a long bus ride or a busy day exploring. And number six, stay another day.

[00:06:59] One of the best ways to care for yourself when you're on the road is to slow down. When you're planning your itinerary, consider adding one more day than you think you'll need to at least some of your destinations. Trust me, I understand that when you're traveling, you want to try and fit in as much as possible. There's always so much to see and never enough time. And the more you learn about a new destination, the worse it gets. But as always, quality always trumps quantity. Adding an extra day gives you time to relax

[00:07:29] and eases the pressure of trying to fit too much into a tight schedule. Plus, as an added bonus, when you have more time in a destination, you're more likely to find hidden treasures and go a few steps further off the beaten track. On a final note, the biggest challenge I face trying to practice self-care when traveling is accepting that it is important. For a while, I thought it felt a bit self-indulgent and silly. The whole, after all, you're on a holiday thing.

[00:07:57] But the truth is, no matter how long you're traveling for, you've probably put a lot of time, money, and energy into your trip. I know I have. So make sure you're mentally and physically able to truly enjoy it. You just listened to the post titled How to Practice Self-Care When Traveling by Jennifer Berger with SimplyFiercely.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. The origins of this podcast were once just a dream.

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[00:10:23] for an extra 10% off your order. That's P-E-S-T-I-E dot com slash O-L-D for an extra 10% off. Thank you to Jennifer. I could definitely relate to this. When I went to Asia for the first time, I made an effort to keep up my practices wherever possible, some Tai Chi and meditation mostly. It wasn't always possible, especially difficult when I got sick, but when I was able to do it, it felt good,

[00:10:51] and I didn't regret the extra time spent on that self-care, even though that time could have been spent exploring. I think in the end, doing these tiny things for ourselves is completely worth it. And I'm the same about quote-unquote must-see attractions. I think this is more of a personal thing. So people have bucket lists and really just want to know that they've seen something in real life. For me, often when I see a very touristy attraction, it's less memorable than just doing what the locals do

[00:11:20] or eating at a specific restaurant or walking in a botanical garden. Again, a personal decision, but either way, I agree that we shouldn't feel guilty if we happen to miss one for one reason or another. If you have any specific travel tips or suggestions, feel free to share them with me. You can always get in contact at oldpodcast.com or by replying to my free weekly newsletter, which you can join at oldpodcast.com. I read all the replies. But I'll leave it there for today.

[00:11:49] Have a great one. Thank you for being here. And I'll see you tomorrow as usual, where your optimal life awaits. How through this journey for a great leader? You You You