When you’re on a vacation, the last thing you want is to catch a cold or come down with a bad stomach bug that leaves you down for the count and prevents you from enjoying your destination. While there are plenty of health considerations when at home, travel introduces new germs, new schedules and new stressors that can weaken your immune system and make you more vulnerable to contracting an illness while you’re away from home.
To have the healthiest travel experience possible, it’s important to take mindful steps to prioritize your own wellbeing while on the road. Read on for tips to help both your mind and body stay strong and healthy while you travel.
Plan Ahead
Whether you’re headed off for one of the Mexico cruises you’ve always wanted to take or you’re about to pack for a week-long winter ski trip, staying illness-free is crucial to really enjoy yourself when you make it to your final stop. To ensure a healthy trip, a few crucial essentials should make their way into your suitcase when it’s time to pack, including important medicines, immune-boosting supplements and personal care items.
Pack a small bag filled with the following items to prevent illness and treat any ailments that may come your way.
- Any daily pills or medications
- Pain relief medication
- Vitamins
- Cold medicine
- Stomach relief medicine
- A first aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Soothing skin cream
Though you don’t have to pack your entire medicine cabinet, it can be helpful to plan ahead for various common sicknesses. Additional extras can go a long way to prevent your body from developing an infection or virus, or if you should start to get sick, such as hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, extra hydrating lotion, medicated lip balm and bug spray.
Take Care of Your Body
Travel is a great way to shake up your daily routine, but any significant changes to your daily schedule can do your system more harm than good. While you’re on your trip, make sure to practice extra self-care and tend to your basic needs, making accommodations to ensure your body has what it needs to function optimally.
Sleep
Jet Lag is common for travelers, especially for those traveling to a distant time zone, and it can seriously interrupt any sleep schedule your body may have grown accustomed to. If you can, plan ahead of time to adjust your bedtime earlier or later at home to give your body a gentler adjustment when you’re on vacation. Good sleep is crucial for a strong immune system, so it’s likely better to take a nap or plan for sleep at your destination rather than push through fatigue or sleep deprivation and end up ill.
Diet
Your diet while on vacation may not always be as healthy and balanced as it is at home, and that’s okay. However, it’s still important to provide your body with adequate fuel for your systems so they can fight off any infections or illnesses that enter your body. Always be mindful of any food sensitivities you may have, and avoid over or undereating while on the road. Take measures to ensure you get plenty of fruits and vegetables between indulgences, and try to avoid foods and drinks with questionable ingredients that could make you sick.
Hydration
Extra walking, higher temperatures, increased physical activity or drier climates can cause your body to become dehydrated fairly quickly, so it’s important to ensure you drink plenty of water and stay hydrated on your trip. Consider a reusable water bottle to carry with you so you always have access to a drink of water when you need it.
Manage Travel-Related Stress
Though vacations are great stress-relievers in many ways, they also often come with a few headaches and inconveniences unique to travel. Do what you can to make sure you’re prepared with everything you need to have a successful trip so you’re less worried about any of the travel hiccups or mishaps that may arise. Spend a little time each morning or night with a soothing self-care practice to reduce your experience with travel-related stress so that you can step onto the streets of your destination relaxed and ready for a great time.