Self-Care After Travel

Do you love to travel? If you’ve ever stepped foot in your home after travel and felt like a mess, you realize the importance of post-travel self-care. When I returned from New Orleans, Costa Rica and Phoenix, I felt like my life was in disarray. I needed to take care of myself and my home. First, I hadn’t worked out as much as I wanted because I was having fun. Second, I was eating anything and everything. Third, I needed to get my apartment (and life in general) in order. This got me thinking about post-travel self-care ideas, whether it’s after a weekend road trip or months abroad.

My post-travel self-care ideas:

• Take care of your skin. I wasn’t following my skin-care routine as much as I wanted because I wasn’t home. I had to get back into the habit of using face masks and applying serum and moisturizer regularly. I’ve recently started using Lush’s Mask of Magnaminty, which is refreshing and kind of looks like something you’d want to dip your crackers in. I’m also using L’oreal Youth Code Skin Recharger. I notice that my skin has felt smoother and looks brighter.
• Take a relaxing soak or bath. I recently received a free sample of  Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution in Lavender from Influenster. I used it during our road trip to New Orleans to relieve the soreness that comes from sitting in a car for hours. Another option is the Dresdner Essenz Muscle Therapy regenerating bath with natural essential oils. I received this for my birthday, and it came in handy after the road trip and some tough workouts.
• Get back on your fitness routine. For me this meant booking more Orangetheory sessions and devising my half-marathon training plan. Now I just need to keep implementing it. I recently received a coupon for 40 percent of C9 at Target sports bras (also from Influenster). It helped me replace a worn sports bra that gave me no support. And it’s cute!
• Reflect about your experiences in a journal. I was fortunate enough to receive a journal for my birthday called The 52 Lists Project. It was perfect timing because I just filled up my illustrated journal, “Start Where You Are.”
• Get your nails done, or do them yourself. It’s a confidence boost to have my nails done. Sometimes it’s a barometer for how well put together my life is at any given moment.
• Drink more water, fresh fruit/veggie juice (homemade) or fruit-infused water and eat whole foods. I am still getting back to this. I took a step in the right direction by restarting my farm-box subscription after a hiatus. Time to start eating better foods!
• Start each day with meditation. This is always my plan, but I rarely do it anymore. It’s more helpful to start the day with meditation than looking through one’s phone notifications. When you fit in your meditation time? Do you think it helps?

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