Whenever we are about to travel I begin with taking inventory. This involves making note of what we have and what we will need physically, while also asking questions like, what will be required of us mentally, emotionally and spiritually on this trip? How can we best prepare our minds and hearts for what's ahead to enjoy it and be a blessing to those around us? And, most importantly, what will our boundaries for food and mindset choices do we need to put in place or discuss?
For example, if traveling to help a loved one, make sure you prepare by pouring into yourself with rest and nourishing foods before your journey. Bring lots of nourishing foods with you to keep you mentally and physically at your best. Or, maybe you're traveling for fun. In that case, this may be a time where you revise your outlook on more strict guidelines and just give yourself a complete break from everything "restrictive" and tune into a more intuitive approach when it comes to eating and relaxing.
Holidays can trigger so many harmful habits it can be difficult to know how to approach them. Dealing with varying environmental factors, lifestyles, sad memories and missed loved ones, can cause a myriad of issues like overeating, stress, anxiety, insomnia.... the list goes on. While it can be tempting to revert to old habits or less than ideal behaviors, let me stop here and remind you about your "why".
If you don't know what I'm referring to click here.
Your why will help be the backbone of evaluating your mindset and goals for your wellness during the holidays
My why for the past few months and as we head into the holidays is "being present". In the age of smart devices, remote work and just the chaos surrounding us, it is increasingly difficult to be fully where you are geographically at that moment. We all at some point or other are missing out on the value of who is in the room with us, because of what's right in front of our faces; our phones. Don't worry this isn't just a "simply unplug and life will be great" post.
To be fully present requires so much self control. To be fully present exposes so much. It creates space to go over the causative factor behind your actions, which can be humbling. I've found to be fully present, I have to be filled first. Filled on what God says and His heart for who I'm with. Filled with rest and a balanced mindset toward health and my nature to control.
So, take inventory. Take a minute to ask yourself hard questions. Then move forward, take action and enjoy those around you.
A quick word on nourishing foods and cultivating balance in nutrition while away from home. Often when we travel I'll bring varying foods to supplement into our diet as we won't be around what we are used to eating. Taking the reason and length of our trip into account I sometimes bring more then listed sometimes less. We follow the 80/20 rule in regard to nutrition and exercise in our home. It's 80% what you eat and 20% exercise, and our choices regarding food are generally 80% on track for our wellness goals and 20% just for fun, which is also part of our wellness goal. What this looks like in real time is: Starting each day the same as we would at home with nourishing foods for breakfast, and then making balanced choices from there.
We typically bring or purchase the following on trips:
Grass fed butter
Nut butter (just nuts and salt)
Gluten free crackers
In-season fruit (during fall/winter trips we bring lots kiwi and oranges)
Easy snacking veggies (bell pepper strips, carrots, cucumbers, sugar snap peas)
Sometimes hummus
Sometimes Kefir and or Kombucha
Sometimes yogurt (unsweetened)
Not from concentrate orange juice and coconut water for morning supplements
Grass fed or raw cheese
Nuts with minimal salt
Organic half and half, monkfruit sweetener, and mama natural collagen (for my morning coffee)
Sprouted rolled oats
*NEW favorite is bone broth. So great to have on hand!
Oddly enough I've found the highest quality of the last two on the list at Costco. The rest of items are generally found at Kroger or your local grocery store.
We've also done trips where we bring nothing at all. Both kinds are enjoyable and beneficial. For our current season of littles traveling with us, we've found we're all at our best when we incorporate a little bit of our "normal" into days that can be full of unknowns. For little ones this overload of "everything new" can lead to unnecessary meltdowns...I've seen it happen with grown ups too! Which leads me to another thing we don't slack on, no matter the reason for the trip. REST. Quality rest is essential which means we stick to naptimes as much as possible for littles and grown ups alike. We also like to balance late nights with early ones. Give and take. Balance. Which brings us back to your why. Why are you on this wellness journey? Why do you feel like changing what you've done in order to achieve something you haven't yet experienced?
If you need help discovering your why or building a sustainable and attainable wellness plan, customized to you, click here.
Regardless, take time for introspection and inventory before you begin your travels. Be intentional with your time and your health. Investing in your health reaps a lifetime of returns.
Comments