My Top 5 Wellness Tips for Making Your Holiday Great!

By Kitty Von Tastique

Holidays are meant to be times of enjoyment and relaxation but often they turn out to be anything but. The good news is that there are some easy steps you can take to make your holiday more refreshing.

Tip 1 : Take a DIY Wellness Kit
I always try to pack myself a small wellness travel kit. This is especially useful when you are doing any kind of long haul flight as part of your journey. I like to include some small useful provisions to make the journey less stressful and enhance my overall wellness during my trip.

My DIY Travel Kit always includes: eye drops (because flying causes dehydration not just to your body but to your eyes as well), refresher wipes (for when the nearest shower is still 24 hours away), my vitamins (I love a fizzy pick-me-up to take during the flight) and a moisturiser (I like to take a moisturiser that I can use on both my body and face to replenish moisture lost during travel. I try to get one scented with citrus so the aroma refreshes me as well).

Tip 2: Aeroplane Food Sucks
If at all possible I always take my own water and healthy snacks. Although aeroplane food has come a long way, if you have any kind of dietary restriction you are bound to have discovered that plane food has yet to catch up to the real world, when catering for people like us! Having my own water and snacks means I am not at the mercy of the dreaded soggy salad or waiting for the water cart to come around in the middle of the night! It also reminds me to stay hydrated.

Tip 3: Take A Wellness Mix Tape
I like to put together a selection of relaxing music that I can listen to if I am feeling anxious. I also load my phone with some guided relaxation tracks as they can be really useful if you are an anxious traveller.

Tip 4: Unplug
Even if you have Wi-Fi during your holiday, think about limiting your screen time to give your mind a chance to relax and unwind. In the same way, don’t overbook yourself for activities and leave yourself no actual down time to relax and recharge during your holiday. Otherwise you may end up needing to have a holiday to recover from…your holiday!

Tip 5: Bookend Your Vacation
For me, this is a really important step in my holiday preparation. I try to always give myself a couple of days of down time at the beginning and end of my holiday. This is so that I can A) get used to my new location and recover from my travel and B) so I can get myself back into my normal routine before I have to start back at work. I also have a rule of always going to bed whenever I feel tired on my first day in a new time zone to give my immune system a chance to recharge.

Most of all listen to your body and don’t overdo it. Holidays are all about the experience, so take time to stay in the moment, listen to your body and recharge those wellness batteries.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VINTAGE LIFE MAGAZINE JULY 2017