Summer is almost over and so are our holidays unfortunaltely! We’ve all loved it, no matter if it was relaxing at the beach, having a road trip, a hiking week, doing some camping, or a city trip. It was a time to relax and explore something new. To reduce the stress, calm down, get away from everyday stress and find time for yourself.
But for many of us it often is a struggle to practice healthy habits when travelling. We might have felt unhealthy, uncomfortable or not in peace with ourselves. Maybe you couldn’t enjoy you holidays much as it might have been possible. In order to enjoy your next break the fullest, I have some tips for you how to stay healthy on holidays. And just to be clear, by “staying healthy” I do not mean, only eat healthy food and working out. I am talking about having both, a healthy mind and body in order to be able to enjoy your holidays as much as possible.
Here on this blog post I am sharing some of my favorite tips or habits when being on holidays. I want to give you some inspiration but just because these things work for me does not mean that this is what works best for you, since everyone is different. I hope these tips will still help you and I wish you all relaxing and healthy holidays!
Tip Nr. 1: get up early
I know that for most of us holiday means sleeping in. But getting enough sleep doesn´t necessarily mean sleep until 11 am every day. I do not want to say never sleep in but getting up early really helps with staying healthy and fit. If you get up earlier during your holidays, you will automatically be more productive since you have more time of the day. First up, you will have more time to explore the area you are staying in. I believe that if you stroll around in the local area in the mornings you really get a feeling what life is like for the locals. I really enjoy this since I do not only get the holiday experience but also I get to know what living here means. If you are not close to a city, you can go take a walk in the area, maybe at a beach if there is one nearby. You will enjoy the silence and sounds of nature. You can even go to the gym and do a morning session. Then later in the day you will not have to spend a single thought about whether you should still go or not. If you have to do some work, do it in the morning, you will have the entire day left to do whatever you want. I promise you that you will feel amazing going to breakfast and knowing that you have already done something this day and you will feel way more productive throughout the day. And if you are worried not to get enough sleep, 2 things; 1styou will be more tired earlier in the evening since you got up earlier and have been productive and 2ndit is more than fine to sleep in some days, we all need this. So ,y tip is to get up earlier most days to be more productive but it is so ok to sleep in on some days too.
Tip Nr. 2: go to the gym/ work out regularly
For me, working out always helps me to enjoy my holidays more. I makes me happier, more relaxed, more productive and gives me a lot of energy. When working out, a lot of enzymes are released, which makes you happier. I believe that you will feel less stressed throughout the day and be more relaxed. You also will be more relaxed when enjoying local food and treating yourself on holidays. With working out I do not necessarily mean pumping in the gym for hours but at least doing something. A short 30 minute workout, a run through the town or city, a swin in the ocean, or a walk at a beach. Doing a little always is better than doing nothing. I personally prefer doing sports in the morning, as of tip 1, as I feel more productive through the day. When I am somewhere for the first time, I always enjoy going for a run in the morning. Most of the times, there are not a lot of people and you just get some orientation and a feeling for the place. If I walk around there later in the day it is easier for me to find places as I have a sense for orienting myself. If you like the idea of it but re not a big runner, feel free to simply take a bike and bike around with it. It will have a similar effect.
Tip Nr. 3: read books
Reading books during your holidays will help you with your mindset. I will help you calm down and relax. They give you a time for yourself to shut down a little and treat your mind. Books nourish your brain with information, which at least for me, makes me feel more satisfied. I personally prefer reading family tragedies, catastrophe- or history based books (I know that it sounds a little depressing but believe me, it will have positive effects) as they remind me of what I have. When reading about people having hard times and real issues or trying to survive, it makes me realize that my problems are basically nothing compared. It reminds me to be more grateful for what I have and to enjoy every single moment. I think, especially when on holidays this is really nice because we often forget how amazing our life is. More than a billion people on this earth are dreaming of going on holidays every day but they simply do not have the possibility so I am convinced that we all should appreciate this a little more. When getting into this mindset, especially on holidays, you will be more relaxed with everything (at least that is how it is for me), as you are thankful for more things including having holidays. In my opinion, reading books, does not only bring you into a good mindset when being on holidays, but in general, so this is a really good tip for a healthy mind(set).
Tip Nr. 4: Meditate/ do Yoga:
If you find the time and a quiet spot, I can only recommend you doing Yoga. In the morning, at sunrise, or evening at sunset, or simply anytime throughout the day. It increases your flexibility, your strength, helps preventing illnesses, and has sooo many positive benefits I can´t even list here. Yoga or meditating is such a great healthy habit to practice anywhere anytime. You do not need any equipment, not even an instructor if you have been to at least one class before or have watched a YouTube video on it before. This is one of the main reasons that it is one of my favorites when travelling. Sometimes even a 20 minute session will do it. Just find a quiet spot and then find peace with yourself and unite your mind and body. It will benefit you so much. It really, really calms you down and relaxes you, and you will be able to enjoy your holidays more when being at peace with yourself. For me, it always helps me to clear my mind and get rid of problems. It makes me feel less tensioned and anxious and more balanced and happy. Meditating and Yoga give me an opportunity to have some time for myself and with myself, which helps me when being around people most of the time. It does not only ensure you a healthy mind and a good well-being in general but also a healthy body. If you have never taken a class before and don´t feel good about doing it with YouTube video, then do some research about the area you are staying in. Nowadays so many hotels offer classes and almost every city has a Yoga studio, and by the way, I looove visiting studios in other countries/ cities as you can learn so much!
Tip Nr.5: Eat good food:
My fifth tip is to not stress out a lot about what you are consuming. By all means, you are on holidays, and you are allowed to treat yourself. You are not doing this every day. Thinking about your indulgementswon´t make you happier – rather the opposite, it will make you unhappier. What I believe is important is to find the balance. Once it is a pizza or a local specialty, which might not be the most healthy but the next time it is a salad. Especially on holidays it is important for your mind and body to keep things balanced. I really enjoy having local food as it simply gives me so much inspiration for new dishes and you can learn a lot from them. When on holidays I always try new things and dishes. So again, my number 5 tip to stay healthy on holidays is balance in food. Enjoy a salad one day and a tiramisu the next!
Tip Nr. 6: enjoy!
It is most important to simply enjoy your holiday and to not stress our or worry about anything too much, like if you work out enough, if you eat healthy, if you feel too unproductive, etc.. Just try to relax and do what is best for YOU! Just because my tips and advices work for me that does not mean that they will work for you too. Everyone is different and everyone has different things that work for them. I like to somehow follow these tips as they help me personally to get the most out of my holidays but still keep my healthy habits and routine. I find them helpful to remain in balance but again: that does not mean that this will also work perfectly for you as you might be structured completely different. My last advice is to simply listen to your body and do what is good for you because you know your body and mind better than I will ever do.
So enjoy your holidays!
You are GREAT 11
GREAT