La Ivana Cert. Life Coach · The La Ivana Podcast

The more I travel and move around, the more attention I dedicate to my mental health while traveling. When I travel, I travel as a digital nomad, meaning that I have to balance out work with all the sights I want to see, so taking care of my mental health is crucial.

Today, I’ll share a list of things that help me reduce overwhelm and keep me both mentally and physically healthy while traveling.

One more thing I want to mention before we dive into today’s topic – mental and physical health are connected. One inevitably affects the other.

If you mentally drain or overwhelm yourself, sooner or later it’s going to show up in your physical health.

In the same way, if you’re constantly on the go and don’t take time to pause, you’re going to mentally suffer and feel stressed.

That’s exactly why I wanted to bring attention to mental health while traveling. In order to enjoy your travels and not burn out, it’s not going to be enough to do a morning stretch or take your vitamins. There are more layers to your health than just physical activity and proper nutrition.

That being said, here are some of my top tips to take care of your mental health while traveling.

1. Prepare an IF-THEN list before your trip

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
― Benjamin Franklin

The first thing I suggest you do while you’re preparing for your trip is to create an if-then list. So often, we prioritize packing our suitcases and making sure we’ve exchanged the currency and brought our passports. That’s the priority, right?

But when it comes to taking care of your mental health while traveling, you need to prepare for days or moments when you feel lonely, frustrated, overwhelmed, or just tired.

For instance, what if you start feeling lonely because you haven’t talked to anyone in weeks?

If there’s some situation like that that you think might happen, it’s best to prepare in advance so that you know how to deal with it.

For instance, if you travel solo, and normally you enjoy being surrounded by people, maybe your if-then list will look something like this:
If I get lonely, then I’ll schedule a Zoom coffee date with a friend. That way, we can catch up the same way we would if we were in the same city.
If I get lonely, then I’ll join some Facebook group for female travelers. It’s going to be beneficial to see how other women are dealing with loneliness while traveling and get some support and encouragement that way.

Want tips for traveling alone? Listen to episode 39 of my podcast: Building Confidence while Traveling Alone & Tips for Solo Budget Travel w/ Marisa Vogiatzi

I mean, think about it – if you would say to yourself, ‘’I’ll buy a portable charger when I’m in my travel destination if I need one’’ then when your phone battery would die, you’d have to face worry, fear, and panic (yes, I’ve experienced that exact scenario when I got lost in Vienna after midnight on my own, and my phone battery was dead).

But if you would buy it now, you wouldn’t have to worry because you’d be prepared.

The same goes for this. Have your if-then list ready for any mental health struggle you think might happen, and you’ll make your trip more enjoyable.

2. Schedule time for self-care and relaxation

“Just when you feel you have no time to relax, know that this is the moment you most need to make time to relax.”
― Matt Haig

The next thing I highly recommend to take care of your mental health while traveling is to make a list in your notes on your phone of some self-care activities for days when you just need to take a break and chill.

The self-care approach we’re taking for this step includes all things relaxation.

Traveling is not always easy. Even if you go to some city near you for one weekend, you may end up packing your schedule with all kinds of activities.

Seeing your friends, going to 10 different places, visiting the new vegan restaurant, etc.

No matter how you travel, it can get too much at some point.

If you’re traveling with a bunch of people or if you’re traveling for work and have to be on the go for the most part, dedicating some time for self-care is essential.

We’re not all the same so I’m not going to sit here and tell you to do yoga, make an appointment for an online reiki session, or meditate, but I will, however, tell you to make a list of things that are relaxing for you.

I’ve been talking to friends who tour with their bands, as well as with other digital nomads who work while traveling so I know that there is a variety of ways to relax, depending on what you find enjoyable and what your schedule looks like.

For some, it’s simply watching a rom-com at the end of the day while having a face mask on and sipping a glass of red. For others, it’s a walk in a cemetery because it’s the only way to reduce the noise and get some peace.

Make a list on your phone and write things that you’ll do if you need to relax and take some time off after a whole day of sightseeing or working.

Also know that sometimes you’ll only have 5 minutes free. So include some quick ways to relax as well as things that you can do if you have a full day off.

Related posts:
10 Tips to De-Stress and Reduce Anxiety
7 Wellness Habits to Improve the Quality of Your Life

3. Create a routine

Creating a routine while traveling? Isn’t the reason to travel to break the routine?

Yes, I know what you might be thinking. You want traveling to be exciting and enjoyable. Being at home is where the routine happens, not on the road.

As a pure Manifesting Generator and a Quad Right in Human Design, I just don’t like routines. Never did.

However, I know that many people like to have some sort of a structured template to navigate through their days with more ease.

And I get it. Traveling is unpredictable. One day, you’re in Paris and it’s the sunniest day of the whole year. The next day, you have to be in Amsterdam and it’s going to rain the whole day so you’ll have to cancel a few things you were looking forward to.

Or maybe your plans will be different in some other aspect. However, the bottom line is that you’ll crave some sort of routine to keep you balanced.

I know both from my own experience and from talking to other travelers that creating a routine can be a life-saver for your mental health while traveling.

For instance, if you’re one of the people that go to the gym every day while they’re at home, that’s certainly not a habit you should sacrifice when you’re traveling.

Instead, find some gyms beforehand that you’ll visit while traveling so that you still have that routine that you’re used to.

That’s just one of the examples of how you can bring some aspect of your routine on your travels. That way, you have a sense of stability that makes you feel on top of things.

This also might look like creating a morning or night routine filled with main things that make you feel grounded.

For me, no matter how I travel, whether that’s staying at a hostel for 3 nights or getting an Airbnb for two months, I’ll always have a night routine.

As a part of my everyday night routine, I quickly tidy and organize my things and prepare for the day ahead. Personally, those are my non-negotiables.

When you’re traveling, your wallet can easily get filled with unnecessary receipts and bus tickets, your clothes can get all over your suitcase while you’re looking for one thing that got misplaced, there’s always some rubbish in your bag, etc.

Since I’m a minimalist to my core, I don’t like seeing that mess and clutter. It’s crucial for my mental health to always make sure all my stuff is organized.

Ultimately, find out what it is for you that gives you a sense of stability, and create a routine for yourself when you’re traveling. That way, you still have something familiar to rely on when everything seems new and unpredictable.

Related posts:
10 Morning Routine Habits You’ll Love
3 Tips for a Productive & Relaxing Night Routine
6 Tips to Prepare for the Week Ahead // Weekly Routine

SAVE FOR LATER 🙂

 

4. Connect with people you care about

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
― Brené Brown

No matter if you travel alone or if you’re meeting new people every day, connecting with your friends or family back home can be helpful for your mental health while traveling.

Ending the day with a 2-hour call with your friend can bring a sense of connection and familiarity.

You could schedule a Zoom coffee date with your friend, as I suggested in the 1st tip. Or maybe you could call a family member while you’re walking around the city.

You don’t have to do this every day, but applying this tip even once or twice a week can have benefits on your mental health.

Why? Because, again, when you’re traveling, you’re living outside of your comfort zone. You don’t have your usual familiar environment, and your old habits and behaviors get challenged and turned upside down.

Traveling can get difficult at times. Everything is new and different, and the things you used to rely on at home don’t exist anymore.

Maybe you don’t speak the language, you don’t know where anything is, you don’t feel safe in your neighborhood, you had some negative experience, or maybe something else makes you feel worried.

Whatever the case may be, connecting with people back home can help you feel grounded and stable when everything is new and uncertain.

 

5. Stay on top of your mental health while traveling by doing a daily check-in with yourself

Aah, my favorite.

I practice this one when I’m traveling and when I’m at home. Through my life-coaching training that I went through before I got certified as a life coach, I learned the benefits of self-coaching.

I often coach myself on a certain situation in my life or if there’s something I’d like to improve.

But to keep things simple, I suggest you do a quick daily check-in with yourself.

It’s easy to focus on new sights, uploading pictures on Instagram, planning the next day, etc. But don’t forget to take some time to check in with yourself. Even if it’s 10 minutes to journal your thoughts or to reflect on the day.

Here are some questions you could ask yourself on a daily basis to take care of your mental health while traveling:

1) How are you feeling? Literally, the simplest question. We ask other people all the time how they’re doing, but rarely, if ever, do we take a moment to check in with how are we feeling.

2) Is your sleep/nutrition/hydration okay? If you need, take a nap, drink more water, set a reminder to buy some fruit the next day, allow yourself to sleep an hour longer the next day, etc.

3) List 3 things you’re grateful for. We love a good gratitude list.

4) Are you lacking something? It could be some time for yourself, connection, peace and quiet, whatever that is.

5) What would be helpful for you right now?

BONUS: Since you’re already checking in with yourself, take a moment to charge your phone, your camera, laptop, etc. I don’t know about you, but I love to take any moment I get while traveling to charge my phone, laptop, and my camera batteries.

After I got lost in Vienna and my phone battery died, I’m just being safe about that.

The point is, even though you’re traveling and you’re probably on the go the whole day, take some time to check in with yourself so that you don’t burn out in the end.

Taking 10 minutes for a daily check-in can be great for your mental health while traveling.

You can do it at any point throughout the day. Set a reminder if you need to and make your mental health a priority.

Free download:
70+ Journal Prompts for Personal Growth and Creating a Life You Love
111 Powerful Affirmations to Build Confidence and Improve Your Life

Until the next time,

Ivana

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