How to Practice Self-Care While Traveling

We travel because it’s what we love to do. It’s exciting and it’s challenging. But for independent travelers, it’s not all fun and games. There are trains to catch, new places to explore, and decisions to be made. For whatever period of time we’re traveling, we feel like we have to be on all the time. We sometimes feel like any time not spent doing is time wasted. It can be exhausting.

Because of this, it’s easy to get burned out. But this is your trip, and yours alone. You’re in charge, so it’s up to you to ensure you don’t get burned out. It’s not always easy, but it is possible. Here’s a list of my favorite ways to practice self-care while traveling.

1. Do everything you really want to do

You’ve been researching, planning, booking, anticipating, traveling, and now you’re here. Why wouldn’t you do everything you really want to do? You owe it to yourself. Whether that’s spending 9 hours in that museum or making an obscure trip out to the countryside to see that war memorial. This trip is all about you and you can do whatever you want.

Now, notice that I didn’t say “Do everything you want to do.” I included really as a modifier. The unfortunate truth is that time is linear and you most likely won’t have time to do everything you wish you could. Even if you did, you’d be running all over the place without taking the time to experience anything. So pick your priorities and enjoy the heck out of them.

2. Don’t do anything just because you feel like you should

Most places have a couple of big attractions that make them famous. Most people find themselves at least somewhat interested in checking these out. But if the idea of going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, for example, doesn’t appeal to you at all, do not feel obligated whatsoever. Don’t let your subconscious or the imagined voices of friends make you feel like you should do anything.

The time you’d spend waiting in line and the money you’d spend on your ticket are better spent on doing one of the many things you really want to do. Refer to list item #1. Sometimes practicing self-care while traveling is as easy as letting go of expectations from yourself or others.

3. Do a couple of things just because you feel like you should

Yes, this is seemingly directly contradictory to the previous point, but hear me out. I’m not necessarily talking about sightseeing, but something along the lines of a “say yes to life” ideology. Maybe you’ve just gotten back to the hostel for the night and you’re planning to get ready for bed. But then your bunkmate walks in and asks if you want to grab a beer. What do you do?

Even if 9 times out of 10 you would say no, you’re going to bed, consider saying yes just this one time. Not because you reeeeally want to, but because you’re on a trip doing extraordinary things and you just feel like you should. Because why not? Because these are the moments that turn into some of the best memories.

4. Take some time to do nothing

Repeat after me: You don’t have to be doing something all the time. You don’t have to be doing something all the time. There’s no need to cram activity into every second of every day; that’s no way to live and you’ll get burned out like we talked about before. Take some time to just exist and appreciate where you are. Duck into a cafe for some coffee or tea and write in your journal. Do some people-watching at the plaza. Take a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood with no destination in mind. Just let yourself be.

5. Appreciate the flexibility

The weather’s bad. The plan fell through. A travel “mistake” happened. Instead of stressing, remember this good news: you’re still at complete liberty to do whatever you want, because it doesn’t affect anyone else except you. You don’t have to apologize to anyone for running late and missing the train, and you don’t have to consult with anyone on what to do next.

Change your plans when something goes wrong. Change ’em when nothing goes wrong — maybe you just changed your mind. Flexibility is one of the most powerful tools a solo traveler has, so use it to keep yourself as happy as possible.

6. Treat Yo Self

I’m a big proponent of desserts, so I firmly believe that everyone should eat at least one dessert per day while on vacation. Just kidding. (Not really.) Anyway, the point is that you should treat yourself to the things you want, or at least show a little less restraint than you maybe would in your everyday life. So buy all the desserts and the souvenirs. You deserve it. And it’s one of the best ways to practice self-care while traveling, in my opinion.

7. Remember there are no rules

The beginning of your trip is like a blank book. And you’re the one with all the power to write the story of your trip. It sounds like a lot of pressure, but try not to look at it that way. There are no rules — just remember to be fully present in your experiences and check in with yourself often to stay in tune with your needs. You’ll keep a positive state of mind during your travels and everything else will take care of itself.

 

What do you think of my tips? Do you have any other ways you practice self-care while traveling? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on October 27, 2017.