It’s so easy to forget to take care of yourself properly while travelling, or to push it to the back of your mind and prioritise other things -there’s so many new people, places, opportunities and distractions. So much fun and also so much stress! But that’s why it’s more important than ever to look after yourself: to stop travel burnout, to keep you centred and keep you on your true path.

In the first 4 months of my solo travelling journey, I went through an array of self-care phases. Self-care wasn’t a huge priority in my first month travelling, I got a bit swept up in the new opportunities and people that came along -not really stopping to take time out or evaluate where I was or what I wanted… It left me feeling a bit lost, not particularly ‘myself’ and more self-conscious than usual.

After living out that experience for a month, I knew I didn’t want to find myself back there anytime soon, so I took self-care more seriously. I took it to the extreme -I did a yoga retreat in the jungle of Cambodia, then slept in oceanfront bungalows for weeks on end and woke up every morning to have a sunrise swim in the sea. I definitely felt a lot better after that! 

But for all the times we don’t have a tropical island on our doorstep, self-care can be a tad bit harder. So with that in mind, I developed some self-care techniques that can be done from anywhere and on any budget. They are best used as preventative medicine and maintenance BEFORE travel burnout pokes its ugly head. But it’s never too late to start!

My self-care techniques are:

Alone time

This is such an important thing for me, alone time is what connects me, grounds me and gives me the space to hear my intuition. It revitalises me and allows me to be & give my best self. Having sufficient time alone allows me to be present and enjoy the company of others more. Shout out to all the travelling introverts!

Rest days

This is so so important when travelling, particularly long term travel. And surprisingly, it can come with so many challenges- guilt for one. But when we are at home we don’t go full speed every day, so why would that change when travelling? If anything we should probably take more rest days than usual because we are going through so much on a daily basis- navigating new towns, transport, interactions -we have to process all the sights, sounds, tastes, smells.
When there are so many new things to contend with it can be exhausting, so give yourself some downtime to recuperate.

Writing

I love writing, I love lists, I love journaling, I love just getting everything out on paper. It helps to clear my mind. I write about my plans, dreams & desires and my challenges & fears, it’s somewhere I can be 100% honest with myself and I gain a lot of insight from the experience.

Phone calls to loved ones

I go through stages with this, sometimes I want to connect with everyone back home and sometimes I feel like distancing myself. But having someone to share all your triumphs and challenges with is so helpful and therapeutic -thanks mum!

Eating well

It’s no secret that travelling generally involves a whole lot of ‘naughty’ foods -snacks for the bus, sweets, drinks, quick meals. And it’s not always from a lack of trying, healthy food can be really hard to come by in some places -I hear ya!
Eating well doesn’t mean restricting yourself from all the cultural culinary delights either, as this can be one of the best parts about travelling. It just means listening to what your body needs. I’ve been carrying around all sorts of seeds, nuts, fruits and snacks so that I know my body is nourished. It takes a bit of extra preparation but is SO worth it!

Tea

When home is your backpack it’s nice to have some creature comforts, I carry a few of my favourite teas around with me- it’s like a hug in a mug.

By practising self-care you are able to be the best you possible and connect more strongly with your intuition. And believe me, a strong intuition is the most valuable asset you can possess whilst travelling.

Now I’d love to hear, have you ever felt travel burnout and what self-care tricks do you use on the road?

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