Show-Up For Yourself Everyday: Practicing Self-Care While Traveling
I recently made a social media post regarding self-care while traveling that received much engagement. One comment several people shared was how difficult it is for them to remain consistent with fitness while traveling. While I have been consistent with my fitness, health, wellness, and self-care rituals for many years, remaining consistent while traveling is a discipline that I began developing during and post-pandemic.
Since the post I made on June 7, 2023, while attending the Hampton University Minister’s Conference in Hampton, Virginia resonated with many persons, I decided to share it more widely through my July blog post and newsletter. Here’s what I posted on my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages:
One of things I teach my coaching clients is strategies for remaining consistent when life gets busy with family, work, travel, holidays, and events. Here’s a strategy I’ve implemented when my life gets busy with family, work, and travel:
Always pack at least one set of workout clothes.
Always pack a pair of sneakers.
Always pack a yoga or exercise mat or a large towel.
Review the schedule of the conference, meeting or event and plan to workout at least 30 minutes before or after the sessions.
Use the hotel/resort gym if available or find an area in the hotel room or the house if you are visiting the home of family and friends.
Run or Walk in the area if time allows or the environment is conducive.
Log into an exercise program on demand such as #peloton.
This is most important…. Decide that your self-care, fitness, health, and wellness is critical to your effectiveness in life, family, relationships, ministry, work, recreation, or pleasure.
#drtoni #travelworkout #peloton #cardio #strength #core #fitnessmotivation #consistencyiskey #selfcare #harmony #women #health #wellness #womenover60 #harmonizeyourlife #yougotthisgirl #letsgetit
Consistency Is Key
Consistency at home is the key to consistency when we are traveling. For example, I made a commitment in February during Heart Health Month to exercise 6 days a week. My fitness regimen consists of strength training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, walking or hiking on Tuesday and Thursday, yoga, stretching, or bike riding on Saturday.
My fitness routines at home are often more strenuous and usually longer in duration. However, because I am consistent at home the desire to remain consistent while traveling is my goal. I eliminate the excuses of taking a “travel break” by packing exercise clothes, sneakers, and a mat in my suitcase. Therefore, I work out in the hotel or resort gym, in my hotel room, or I find a hiking/walking trail in the area where available.
The results of consistency are evident when I return to my regular fitness regimen. Like the results I experienced in a recent hike up Stone Mountain after a season of travel which prevented me from hiking up the mountain. While it had been several months since my last hike because I am consistent while traveling, I hiked the mountain on that day in record time! I even ran up the hill with the rail twice and was not winded!!! If you’ve ever hiked Stone Mountain, you know why I’m excited!
Make the Necessary Adjustments
Travel interrupts our daily routines and schedules. Whether we travel by car, plane, train, or cruise ship, it requires that we adjust in self-care. As I shared, self-care while traveling looks different than when I am at home. My home has all the accoutrements that I have created that may or may not be available to me during travel. Hotel and resort rooms may create space constraints. If your travel includes lodging with a spouse, roommate, children, family members and friends, you may have to consider the sleep patterns, space, and schedules of other persons.
Here are some things I have found helpful in adjusting and remaining true to my value for self-care:
Review the space where I will be lodging prior to leaving home.
Discover what is available to me via hotel/resort activities, convention center, sites, excursions, restaurants, parks, beaches, etc.
Review the schedule of the events, convention, conference, family and friends and determine when and where I can intentionally practice self-care.
Communicate with my travel companions or with those I am visiting my need and plans for self-care to include any special food considerations, needs or wants. (I have found most people respect my self-care values when I communicate and honor my values.)
Practicing self-grace gives us the capacity to make such adjustments. Gift yourself the mental and emotional space to adjust. For example, I just returned from a vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was my plan to exercise early on the Monday morning of my departure flight. Yet, on Sunday night we had a power outage due to storms in Conyers, Georgia. The power outage caused me to adjust my packing plan and interrupted my Monday morning fitness plans. I practiced self-grace by adjusting to the circumstances beyond my control, packing via flashlight, boarding my flight to San Juan, enjoying a wonderful dinner with my family after we arrived, resting in my hotel room, getting a good night’s sleep, and exercising in the hotel fitness center on Tuesday morning.
Experience Self-Care Differently During Travel
Because I am a type-A personality, I am energized by patterns and routines. However, the dark side of this personality trait is the propensity to fall into ruts that are devoid of creativity, excitement, and refreshment. Travel creates opportunities for me to break from my normal routines and enjoy other forms of exercise, fitness, recreation, and refreshment. For example, although I am not a swimmer, I do enjoy the sights, sounds and the feeling walking on the beaches and wading in ocean water. Therefore, my travel often includes beach walking, beautiful hiking trails in the mountains and or a rain forest.
Trying new foods and dishes that I have not cooked at home is another benefit to self-care while traveling. Disconnecting, resting, reading books for pleasure, and taking breaks from the busyness of work and home responsibilities are some of the best ways to practice self-care during travel.
Visiting and touring historical sites, museums, nature hikes and excursions are very refreshing. For example, during my trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico I took advantage of the hotel gym and the beach. My self-care rituals included strength training, stretching, beach walks, deep breathing, relaxation, prayer, and meditation while sitting on a rock with my feet in the ocean listening to the sounds of the waves. Walking through the streets of Old San Juan and hiking through the El Yunque Rainforest with my family met our need for intellectual and visual stimulation, family harmony and physical exercise. These were wonderfully refreshing way to start my day and practice self-care.
Self-care while traveling is possible. It includes fitness, healthy eating, rest, relaxation, mindfulness, meditation, mental health, physical health, spiritual health, recreation, hobbies, creativity, sight-seeing, and refreshing times with family and friends. As I stated in my post on June 7th, we must decide that our self-care, fitness, health, and wellness is critical to our effectiveness in life, family, relationships, ministry, work, recreation, or pleasure. Self-care is a daily decision, even when we are traveling.
For more inspiration and motivation, I invite you to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. If you desire more information, self-care strategies and accountability, I invite you to join the Harmonize Your Life Self-Care Network at www.drtonialvarado.com.
Enjoy your summer travel and intentional self-care.
Dr. Toni