Article in collaboration with the Elephant Journal

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Travelling can bring up all sorts of emotions. Whether you’re going on a family holiday or backpacking solo across South East Asia for six months. It can be both an amazing and incredibly stressful experience. For those long haul travellers, these stresses can manifest themselves in lots of different areas. Whether you’re trying hard to adjust to the local culture, dealing with jet lag, or you’re just trying to work out how much cash is needed throughout the trip.

How do we embrace the travelling experience and enjoy it to the full without burning ourselves out?

# 1: Pack Mindfully

The first worry that comes up is usually about whether you have packed everything you need. Forgetting to bring your essential items can feel like the end of the world when you arrive at your new destination. Another stress on the other side of the spectrum is over-packing. Stepping into your hostel room in scorching heat may leave you beating yourself up on paying extra to bring your winter coat.

Both of these scenarios can be a source of feeling stress or frustration at yourself for not planning enough. But packing mindfully before you leave can help avoid these situations. When you approach your trip with an understanding that it’s alright to forget certain things, it eases up the tension in your mental space. Because in reality, it’s okay to not bring your favourite toothbrush, the world is full of places to grab essential items. Maybe you did pack your coat for no reason, but it turns out it’s a pretty handy pillow when the hostel doesn’t provide you with enough.

# 2: Create a Self-itinerary

As the aircrews always say, it’s critical to put your own mask on before you help others with theirs. The same can be said for how you spend your time. Travelling can get pretty exhausting, seeing the sights, hiking to the top of temples, trying to experience everything you possibly can whilst you’re in a new place. It is important to consciously not over-pack your schedule and burn yourself out.

Introducing slower activities and self-care routines into your travels is the perfect way to make sure you’re resting and recharging, so that you’ll have the energy to go explore more when you want to. The quality of your trip doesn’t depend on how many activities you’ve managed to pack to the list, but depends on how presence you are in the moment throughout each activity. Remembering to take ‘me’ time will help you bring the balance back for your body and mind, and in turn maximise your trip to the fullest.

# 3: Enjoy the Gain

Spending can be a huge area of stress when jetting across the globe. Particularly if you’re a young traveller trying to do things on a budget. Whilst it’s easy to get bogged down by the financial side of having new experiences, it’s important to shift your mindset from a place of worry and expense, to a place of gratefulness and enjoyment.

Yes, many experiences are going to come with a financial expenditure and you can always find ways to cut your costs whilst moving around. Perhaps you are juggling whether to pay for extra leg room on a long haul flight. Or maybe you’re considering staying in a hostel instead of a fancy hotel. Whatever way you choose to budget your trip, it’s important to look at our travels as what they are: new experiences to gain.

Getting caught up by focusing on only costs, or driven by the fear from a lack mentality, will only take us away from enjoying what’s right in front of us. As the old wisdom goes, “Travel. Your money will return. Your time won’t.”

# 4: Embracing Gratitude

Do you keep track of all the amazing things you get up to on your trip? One great way to improve your travel experience is to exercise gratitude. Sometimes we can be so easily swept up by the constant change and chasing the next sights and sounds, that we forget to pause and really appreciate what we’re experiencing.

There are many ways to mindfully practise gratitude, such as keeping a gratitude journal, consciously appreciating what’s right in front of you, or reflecting on the photos you have captured with your phone or camera. We never know what the future holds. Having the awareness of enjoying the present is what makes your journey really magical. Gratitude is an attitude that takes us to a higher altitude.

# 5: Taking a Digital Detox

Our modern lives have become ingrained with social media. We are constantly checking in, scrolling through feeds, and checking what our friends are up to. Whilst these platforms can help keep us connected with loved ones while we’re on the road, taking a break from the digital world can be incredibly beneficial for our mental health.

Why? Because we start to be more aware of what’s going on around us. Our mindfulness with the new experience allows us to reconnect with the real world and others in it. We all know that socialising is essential for us as human beings, helping our mental and physical health as well as allowing us to experience more. So, next time you’re taking a trip, encourage yourself to spend quality time to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the locals instead.

Being mindful of your wellbeing whilst travelling will significantly enhance the experiences you have. Whether that’s being more aware of our actions or taking time to rest and recalibrate. Looking after YOU is a vital ingredient when venturing our amazing planet.