Developing healthy habits is important for improving your overall well-being, but it can be difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you travel frequently for work. If you are a traveling professional, use these five tips from CONMIGO to take care of yourself while on the road working.

1. Make Time for Daily Movement

Daily movement is essential for good health. Before you get in your car every morning, make it a habit to go for a quick walk. You can also make frequent stops while on the road so you have time to stretch your legs. Staying at a hotel with an on-site gym is another good way to fit in exercise while traveling. You can even make it a habit to park a good distance away from your meetings and walk to get to them on time

2. Stay Hydrated

DripDrop reports that a recent study found that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. It isn’t enough to drink plenty of liquids throughout the day; you need to consume a significant amount of water to stay properly hydrated. Drinking water has numerous benefits, so make sure you invest in a large travel jug or carry many bottles of water with you every time you are on the road. Drinking plenty of water can help you stay healthy and hydrated so you feel your best while traveling.   Keeping your sips close at hand is also essential.  Carrying a messenger bag, like the ‘ULTI’ messenger bag by CONMIGO with a dedicated water bottle compartment helps insure you can easily stay hydrated.

3. Establish a Sleep Routine

The quality of your sleep is as important as the quantity. If you sleep eight hours each night, but you wake frequently and still feel tired during the day, you aren’t getting enough restful sleep. Establishing a sleep routine can help you get adequate rest even when you’re traveling to different hotels each week. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid using electronics for at least an hour before you plan to go to sleep. Instead, do a relaxing activity such as reading to calm your mind. You can also adjust the temperature of your hotel room to create a cool, dark environment that is conducive to good sleep.

4. Eat High-Quality Foods

When you need to eat while on the road, the easiest thing to do is grab takeout. Most fast-food restaurants, however, are not ideal for nourishing your body appropriately. When possible, grab ingredients from a local grocery store and prepare a simple, healthy meal in your hotel room instead of eating out. Reach for nutrient-dense snacks such as nuts, fruit, yogurt and cheese instead of chips and crackers, and if you need to eat out, choose a sit-down restaurant that offers vegetables on the menu.

5. Schedule Time for Yourself

Focusing solely on work when you are traveling and not taking time to take care of yourself is a quick way to experience burnout. You should schedule time for self-care so you can maintain your mental health. Spend a few minutes each morning meditating, or make time for a long, hot shower in your hotel room at the end of every day. Another form of self-care is making time to visit important landmarks in the areas you are working. Make time for the things you enjoy.

If it helps you to stay organized, you might even want to maintain a PDF of goals and aspirations, as well as a schedule of self-care activities that will help you rejuvenate. It’s easy to keep updated, too; this shows you how to add pages to a PDF, so that you can view your progress over time and make any course corrections necessary. 

Make Travel Feel Like Normal Life

If you enjoy traveling, being on the road constantly for business trips can be fun. But it’s important to find ways to implement healthy habits into your daily routine even when you are on the road. Prioritize good sleep and healthy food, and pair that with some daily activities whether it’s at your hotel gym, walking through a park, or taking the stairs to your next appointment. When your life involves travel, you have to make travel feel like your normal life, so make some effort to align the two in order to find your balance.

CONMIGO is here to help you have a first class experience while traveling. Questions? We’d love to hear from you!

…Michael Longsdon, Freelance Writer