Travel For Self-Care
Why self-care?
Being a type A personality, a recovering people pleaser, and an overachiever, it is often difficult for me to prioritize my well-being, and more difficult to make time to be present, reflect, and listen to what I need. This is where self-care comes in. I have to be very intentional about my self-care and force myself to prioritize it. Rest is radical! I have to force myself to rest and remind myself that taking time to care for myself will help me and those around me in the long run.
What is self-care exactly?
Self-care is exactly that, taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can work, care for others, show up, and be your best self. There are many types of self-care, it isn’t just taking a bath and lighting some candles. You should consider how you take care of your physical body, your mental and emotional health, your relationships, your personal needs, your environment, your work life, and your spiritual connections. Taking care of all these needs will help you weather life's challenges.
Why is travel the answer?
Travel is a great way to promote wellness in several of these areas at once. A single trip can help you de-stress, connect with others, connect with nature, and recharge from everyday life. Here are 8 types of self-care and how you can make improvements in these areas through travel.
1. Physical
Taking care of your body is so important, you need rest and recovery in order the endure everyday life stressors. Physical self-care involves getting a good night's sleep, exercising, and eating well.
These things can easily be arranged through travel. Sleeping in a hotel often helps me with sleep. At home I find myself struggling to fall asleep while I anxiously recap my day and all the things I didn’t get to. At a hotel, you don’t have a choice of doing any of those home chores your only job is to rest. Planning trips that provide physical self-care could be scheduling a massage at a spa or participating in a yoga class. You could go camping and spend your time exploring nature through hikes or rock climbing. I like to go to walkable cities so I can just wander. Wherever makes you feel like it is easier to take care of your body, go there.
Here are some examples of things you could do to take care of yourself physically:
Visit a National Park and explore
Go on a yoga retreat
Plan a tropical vacation where you can scuba dive, snorkel, kayak, surf, or hike. Hawaii is a great location for this!
Find somewhere with great healthy restaurants
2. Mental/Emotional
Mental self-care means managing stress, taking time for reflection, and allowing yourself to recalibrate. I find travel to be an enormous help when it comes to taking care of myself emotionally or mentally. The separation from everyday life allows me to decompress, detach from my stressors, and show gratitude. Sleeping in a clean hotel room without clutter gives me a break from stressing over taking care of my own home. I often find it easier to permit myself to just be present when I’m traveling. This mental break often makes me feel recharged and more resilient to handle whatever I am returning home to.
Here are some examples of things you could do to take care of your mental wellbeing:
Going to a hotel that has a spa or hot springs to help you relax
Go somewhere nostalgic
Visit a small town where there is a limit of things you can do so you are forced to take it slow
3. Social
Social self-care is supporting your need for connection and positive relationships. It can also be setting boundaries for yourself and taking a break from social media. When traveling, this can take the form of traveling with a group of friends or maybe a significant other. Shared experiences can often foster stronger relationships and make you feel more connected. Traveling can also force you to set boundaries such as letting your work know you are unavailable during your trip. It is much easier to take a break from unhealthy social media habits when you are distracted by travel adventures and a new environment.
Here are some things you could do to take care of your social wellbeing:
Plan a trip with friends
Explore a theme park like Disneyland
Go on a cruise
Travel and leave your phone at the hotel
4. Spiritual
Spiritual wellness is maintaining the health of your connection to something bigger than you. Whether this is some form of religion, spirituality, or just your relationship with your place in the world. To foster spiritual wellness you could spend time alone, take time in nature, meditate, or enjoy an activity like yoga or listening to music. Anything that helps you to feel more connected to something outside of yourself. I often find this when visiting beautiful natural landscapes. Traveling is a great way to get out of your world and experience someone else's world. Immersing yourself in a new culture can widen your worldview and make you feel more connected. When I experience a sense of awe it reminds me that I am a small part of a much larger and more beautiful world.
Here are some ways you can recharge spiritually through travel:
Visit someplace scenic
Visit a new country that is drastically different than your own
Go to a music festival
Visit a place that has beautiful churches if you are religious
Go on a spiritual retreat
5. Personal
Personal self-care is the connection to yourself. When we are busy caring for those around us we can forget about our own identity. This type of self-care could include reflecting on what makes you YOU and it can be exploring your own interests or hobbies. Travel can open up opportunities for you to explore your interests. When we travel, it is like we have permission to be a different person because we are removed from our own life. This permission can create a sense of play and curiosity. Sure I’ll try that zipline, or go see a play. Allowing yourself to be curious and play helps you learn a little bit more about yourself.
Here are some ways you can encourage personal wellness through travel:
Do a travel tour focused on your interests. For example, I love film and would love to do a film set tour
Go on a solo trip
Bring a journal on your trip
Visit a place on your bucket list
6. Space
Space self-care is about being in a space that makes you feel safe, it could be an environment that encourages you to be healthy or visiting a familiar place. I am very influenced by my space. As a type A personality, I can’t focus if there is clutter, or if there is too much stimulation and noise. That is why I love staying in hotel rooms. To me they give a sense of safety, there is minimal clutter, and less stimulation. What type of environment do you thrive in? Allowing yourself to take time in a space that makes you feel comfortable can be a great way of promoting space self-care. Maybe camping and being in nature makes you feel recharged. Maybe visiting a bustling city with a lot of things going on makes you feel energized. Travel is a great opportunity to transport you into a new space.
Here are some ways you can encourage space wellness:
Visit places you find comfort in. For example, I love the vibe of coffee shops and often visit them wherever I’m traveling.
Plan a camping trip
Plan a trip to visit family
Visit a childhood location
7. Financial
Financial wellness is taking care of your relationship with money. I know it sounds counterintuitive to go on a trip as a way to have financial wellness but it can! When you work hard to earn money and to save, sometimes you lose sight of why you are working hard. Traveling can be a great reward for your hard work. Saving up for a trip and then going on that trip is a great way for you to appreciate and reflect on your hard work. It is easier to work hard when you have something you are working towards. Spending your money on experiences and memories instead of material things, isn’t that a great use of your savings?
Here are some tips for promoting financial wellness:
Go somewhere on your bucket list
Go somewhere that feels luxurious or indulgent
8. Work
Work wellness is about creating a pleasant place to work, and learning how to manage your time so you can create more work-life balance. It can be learning something to help you in your work life or just learning when you need a break from work. Travel can be a great way to take a break from work but it can also be a great opportunity to learn. I used to love to go to conferences. It always helped me to feel recharged and motivated when I got back to work. Sometimes your work will even pay you to do that, how great is that!
Ideas for work-related self-care:
Plan a work retreat with coworkers
Go to a work-related conference or event
Do a retreat that focuses on a skill relevant to your work
Find somewhere that helps you completely detach from work and recover
Planning a trip can tackle multiple areas of self-care all at once. That is why it is my favorite solution to feeling burnt out and in need of recovery.