Koalas know how to do life good 😉
Without a doubt, our recent trip to New Zealand and Australia was good for our self-care. However, I came back home afterward feeling rather anxious and less than my best. After reflecting and trying to figure out how that could be, I realized that there were some things that I did not practice while I was away and I feel pretty sure had I done more of the following, I would have felt better on the trip and when I came back home.
Sleep
I am often mocked for my obsession with sleep. Seb, Colleen, and David have still not forgiven me for wanting to go to bed before midnight on New Year’s eve in Rwanda. I love sleeping, or I should say, I love how I feel when I’m well-rested. After reading Why We Sleep I really try to make sure I get enough sleep even when on that holiday of a lifetime so I can really enjoy the days of my holiday and of course have time to get that early morning walk and mindfulness practice in which leads us to…..
Start a mindfulness habit
– or if you have one, keep it going while you are on holiday. When we are away, our routine is completely turned upside down and despite having lots more time, we can find it hard to find the time to continue our mindfulness practice. While there are lots of apps to help with this consider finding a spot, turn off your phone, set a timer and sit. Sit by the beach close your eyes and notice all the sounds of the waves and the children playing in the background. Take 10 minutes at a viewpoint to do a mindful seeing practice and try to notice the smallest details that otherwise you may not notice.
Exercise
I like to work out, or I should say, I like how I feel when I have worked out. If I don’t get at least a walk in each day, then I just feel terrible for the rest of the day. When traveling, make sure you try to move your body for 30 minutes or so. If you are in a hot country, get up really early and enjoy the cooler air, or perhaps find a sight that’s close by to where you are staying and walk there and take some pictures. Look on the Map My Run app to find some routes close to where you are staying and try to move your body a little, especially if you intend to spend the rest of the day sitting by the pool.
Eat a healthy and lighter breakfast
When we travel of course we want to try the local vegan cuisine or the local and these can sometimes make us not feel our best. Those unlimited breakfast buffets at the fancier hotels are can make us feel uncomfortable for many hours. While it might feel like we are not taking advantage of what’s available, consider eating as many vegetables as you can at breakfast. If you are anything like us a couple of days can go by and you realize…. “Hmmm… I have not had more than 2 servings of vegetables in the past 3 days!” This is why we start feeling a little sluggish. Eating 4-5 servings of vegetables at breakfast if possible is a great strategy. If you only eat 1 or 2 over the rest of the day, then you are doing pretty well. After this recent holiday, I know that I need to certainly work on being more consistent in all of these areas. Perhaps you can give a couple a try and see if they make a difference to how you feel during that holiday of a lifetime?
Speaking of holidays of a lifetime, we have a few that are open for signing up to right now! Check our main page for the low-down.
