Travel—it’s thrilling, energizing, soul-opening. Also? Absolutely chaotic for your self-care rituals. You’re switching time zones like socks, eating meals at questionable hours, and maybe living out of a suitcase packed under duress. How, then, do you maintain health while on the move?
Here’s the deal: it’s possible. It takes intention, not perfection. The kind of flexibility that lets you do yoga on an airport floor if needed, or journal at midnight in a hostel. Below are unorthodox, practical, and oddly specific ways to keep your self-care alive—even when the journey’s wild.
Table of Contents
1. Don’t Ditch the Ritual—Redesign It
Consistency doesn’t mean copy-paste. Your 7am smoothie and jog might morph into a 3pm stroll and coconut water in Bangkok. So what? Let it breathe.
Instead of abandoning your routine, adapt it. Meditation doesn’t require incense and silence—it requires presence. Ten minutes on a noisy train? Still counts. A 2022 survey found that 67% of travelers who maintained even part of their routine reported better overall well-being during trips.
Be loose with structure but loyal to the intention. Want to journal? Use the back of a boarding pass.
2. Use Apps Like You Use Sunscreen—Frequently and With Purpose
Self-care isn’t always analog. Use your phone, wisely. Load it up with mindfulness, hydration, fitness, and sleep-tracking apps before departure. And for goodness’ sake, make sure you have secure access across borders.
Geo-restricted wellness platforms? Blocked meditation apps? The fix is simple: install VeePN on iOS and activate it. VPN for iOS has quite a few ways to improve our digital lives: freedom of movement on the Internet, data security, and even anonymity. If you have VPN apps from trusted developers, like VeePN, then you can use even those apps that are only available in a certain country or region.
With your digital self-care toolkit intact, you can sneak in a guided breathwork session before boarding or do hotel room HIIT without missing a beat.
3. Sleep: Chase It Like It Owes You Money
Sleep’s the anchor of all wellness. Travel wrecks it. Jet lag? Screaming hostel bunkmates? Midnight tuk-tuks?
Bring tools. A silk eye mask. Earplugs. Melatonin. Heck, noise-canceling headphones playing brown noise. A white noise app is fine, too.
Don’t ignore circadian rhythm disruptions. Studies show even one night of poor sleep can increase cortisol levels by 37%. Imagine what a whole week does. Naps are not weakness; they’re reinforcements.
And hey—don’t be ashamed to skip a sunrise hike for an extra two hours of deep REM.
4. Move Your Body, But Make It Weirdly Fun
Who says working out has to look the same abroad? Dance with locals. Swim in a glacier lake. Stretch on a mountaintop. Walk aimlessly through a new city with no map and comfortable shoes.
Or just do squats while brushing your teeth in the hotel bathroom. That’s still movement.
The World Health Organization suggests 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. That’s just 22 minutes per day—less than the time it takes to scroll your phone in bed. Which brings us to…
5. Mindful Tech Use (and the VPN You Forgot You Needed)
Self-care also means protecting your peace from digital chaos. It’s tempting to doomscroll or binge every photo you’ve ever taken. Stop.
Limit screen time unless it adds value (navigation, language apps, playlists). And if you’re hopping on sketchy café Wi-Fi to check your mental health portal or stream a sleep story from home—protect yourself. A free VPN adds that layer of encrypted calm. Boundaries aren’t just for people. Make them for devices, too.
6. Hydration and Gut Health: Your Real Travel Buddies
Hydration is so basic it’s radical. Carry a collapsible bottle. Add electrolyte powder. Track water intake.
And don’t let your gut be a victim of spontaneity. Jet lag messes with digestion. New foods are exciting—but also tricky.
Pack probiotics or fermented snacks. Ginger chews for nausea. Activated charcoal tablets if things go sideways.
Here’s a stat you’ll wish you didn’t know: over 30% of travelers experience digestive distress. Not glamorous, but manageable.
Eat smart. Chew slowly. Know when to say no to street meat at midnight.
7. Mental Maintenance: Journal, Breathe, Check In
You’re absorbing new cultures, people, and sensations. It’s magic—but also overwhelming.
Mental self-care is grounding. Journal your highs and your travel fatigue. Use voice memos if typing feels like a chore.
Practice gratitude, even in the chaos. Missed a train? At least you’re not missing your growth. Studies have shown that gratitude journaling three times a week boosts optimism by 15% after one month. That’s worth a few scribbled notes, isn’t it?
8. Say No: The Most Underrated Travel Hack
You don’t have to do everything.
You don’t have to say yes to every invitation.
You don’t have to be the most adventurous or the most well-fed or the most Instagrammable version of yourself.
Rest is productive. Alone time is medicine.
Final Boarding Call: Self-Care Travels Too
Travel doesn’t have to mean leaving your self-care behind. If anything, it’s a chance to deepen it—to make it yours, under pressure.
Self-care, it turns out, fits in a carry-on.
