The Travel Wellness Playbook You Need Before You Book That Next Vacation

This is not just a catchphrase to say to your month, but your new travel wellness mantra. The boss of jet lag tips is to start the anti-jet lag prep before the travel starts. So, having restful nights of sleep before you travel is key that lets your body and mind be more prepared to acclimatise. Hydration is a big one to keep jet lag at bay, so make sure you dial down the caffeine and alcohol. Dr. Logan Schneider, a sleep neurologist suggests relying on a phone app that can create a personalised plan to beat jet lag to make sure you switch up your sleep schedule to the new timezone. The sooner you get over it, the sooner the exploring and relaxing can begin.

Not sure if your holiday tan would show up in your holiday dump, but getting some Sun would definitely up your face card and your travel self care game. As per research (Mead, 2008), more than a couple of minutes of the Sun is known to boost serotonin, which keeps your spirits up, managing the chaotic operational and admin nightmare that holidays have become now. Adjusting to a new place without the comfort of your home is difficult, so adequate sun exposure helps with improving sleep as well. On top of all of that, getting enough sunlight is one of the best jet lag tips ever, so get that vitamin D. Waking up groggy for a beautiful sunrise is on nobody's bucket list, surely.

This is rarely talked about, even when travel wellness as a term is tossed around so often. A vacation is something you take not just to get away from things but to better immerse yourself in them. On your office commute, you're usually listening to hype music that you miss the chirping birds, the random artist on the road, and the gentle breeze that makes your hair fly in a very cinematic way that makes you question reality in favour of it being a fiction directed by the movie gods. Vacation is a time when you can find the time to actually smell flowers, stop and listen to a guitarist on the street. Being present in the moment is a practice that we've moved very far away from. But it is how you remember more of the memories you make on the trip, slow down to enjoy the food, the people, and the culture. It's what makes you choose a conversation with a random stranger over editing your trip pictures on the trip. If you'd like to really lean into it, you can always wake up to meditation music to ease yourself into the day. This is the OG self care travel tip you can never leave on the table before actually leaving.

Room service is one of the top 10 human experiences, but travel bloating is real. And honestly, not much is worth feeling horrible on a trip you paid thousands to travel for. So, eating foods that fuel well while providing you with enough fibre and carbs is as important. That doesn't mean you stop yourself from trying new cuisines because that's how you discover a culture better. Making healthier and smartier food choices does not equal limited options; it's more about optimisation. For example, if you have reservations for an elaborate dinner, you can choose to fuel yourself with fruits and vegetables, foods that make you feel lighter, giving you enough room for a big meal at the end of the day without any discomfort. It's a good idea to take your eating habits into account when you're planning your stay. Practicing travel wellness can indeed be built into your trip planning, such as looking for accommodation that's near lots of food markets as well as local cafes and restaurants that can cook fresh for you. No need to abandon your gut while vacationing.

This often defeats the purpose of relaxation for people, but exercise does not have to be an extension to feel its effects. A light stretch in the morning or a yoga class at the hotel you're staying at can completely turn around your mood just because it gets you out of your mind and into your body. If not, being on foot and walking around is the best way to explore any city, as you get the local experience of randomly stumbling across things that you normally wouldn't. More and more people are fitting in exercise during their travels with poll results undertaken by The Independent showing it's 7 on 10 focus for travellers. If you're especially active and love wandering around, get your Strava out and go for a sightseeing run. If you missed it, this is all the rage, where even hotels are stepping up for the demand for sightseeing and incorporating running concierges into part of their offerings.

If you think you can jam 2-months worth of itinerary in a week-long trip, unfortunately, your mornings will not be as aesthetic as you'd want them to be. You'd wake up late, with a groggy mind, with almost no time for breakfast and the extended skincare you'd want to. While vacations warrant late-night loitering and some midnight dances, not catching up to your usual 6-8 hours of sleep will hit your mood and energy levels the most. And might we remind you, that the whole point of a vacation is to also sleep in and enjoy relaxing mornings.

Travel is notorious to disrupt routine, taking you off track from real life, but it can be more than that. It can be a balance of all things indulgent and necessary as long as you're willing to plan around it. From balancing indulgent, hearty meals with fibrous superfoods to swapping a quick cab in favour of a slow stroll across the city to explore a new area, it can really be that easy.