Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Travellers

When at home, where we have the comfort of routines and schedules, it’s easy to have a healthy lifestyle. When travelling, however, our mental and physical health can often be compromised!

I spent two years of my life on the road, and during those years, I had to find a way to incorporate some healthy habits into my life. At home, I’d go to the gym every day, but travelling, I had to find other ways of staying strong. At home, I had a routine and time set aside for grounding myself, but on the road, where life was serendipitous, I had to find other ways of keeping my head clear.

Here are my tried and true healthy habits for travellers.

Wake up and walk to breakfast

Getting your day started with some walking is a great metabolism booster, but there are benefits to this beyond the physical aspect. Walking as soon as you wake up is a good way to get some endorphins in early on in the day- you’re ensuring you’re waking up on the right side of the bed! Breakfast included where you’re staying? Wake up and have a walk after breakfast- it’ll help you digest and you’ll still be getting endorphins.

Make your meals colourful

It’s easy to go overboard on food when travelling. While I don’t think you should hold back on trying local cuisine, I think it’s important to be filling up on fruits and veggies. I try to eat super colourful plates- think as many coloured vegetables as possible! If I’m set on trying a dish (that may or may not have veggies in it), I’ll get a side of veggies to share. Try to add in colourful vegetables as often as possible.

Carry a water bottle around

It’s especially important to stay hydrated when travelling! The different environment can do some weird things to your body, and often water helps with that. I’m guilty of forgetting to drink water, but when I carry a water bottle around, I drink loads more. The water bottle is a constant reminder to have a sip here and there. This is especially important in some countries without potable tap water.

Try travel journaling

If you read my travel journals, you’ll get a wide variety of things. You’ll see to-do lists, rants, deep reflection, and the shallowest things, all within the same page! I like to write everything down. The to-do lists and planning pages keep me organised, and thus, less stressed, and all the other stuff is great for getting whatever I’m feeling out on paper. If I’m having a great day, writing about it will inflate my feelings and help them last, and if I’m having a bad day, writing ensures I don’t bottle up negativity and explode. It’s a great way of keeping a clear head.

Challenge yourself regularly

It’s easy to fall into a routine at home. In fact, I love my routines! When travelling, and living completely serendipitously, those are gone. While I’m not acting as a creature of habit, I might as well take advantage of it and challenge myself. Getting out of my comfort zone is something I love to do when travelling. It’s a great way to learn new things (about yourself and the world around us), to broaden our horizons, and to feel empowered.

My favourite ways of challenging myself:

Try to order food/coffee in the local language – It may sound like nothing, but speaking a different language can be intimidating, and getting over that little fear is great! Plus, it’s always good to try to speak the language of the country you’re in.

Do something physical – Whether this is a super long hike or an uphill bike ride, doing something physical that is just a little harder than what you’re comfortable with is empowering. Plus, it’ll help you get stronger at that skill!

Put yourself out there (when travelling solo) – Sometimes travelling solo is a little intimidating. I’ve travelled solo LOADS and I still get a little nervous when trying to make new friends! Putting yourself out there and inviting someone to dinner, drinks, or sightseeing can be weird, awkward, and scary, but I like to force myself to have that confidence and just do it. Who knows? You might make a new friend out of it (I’ve met some of my closest friends by doing this).

Spend a day completely alone – I love spending time with other people, so once in a while, I force myself to have a day to myself. I think it’s important to be comfortable with being by yourself, and it’s good to be able to be your own best friend. It’s nice to have a day of adventure that is completely your own.

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