Self-Care for the Business Traveler

Practicing self-care can be a challenge for the business traveler.  Let’s face it, unless you are headed to a destination spa, any type of travel can impact your wellness and self-care routines.  It was while traveling on business after three weeks of living out of a suitcase, long days and even longer dinners with colleagues that took its toll.    I was definitely missing my spa-inspired lifestyle I am used to back home, where self-care is a priority.  I wondered if I could “Live Spa-like” even while traveling for work. Challenge Accepted! 

Here are 10 pointers on self-care for the business traveler:

1. Healthier Food Choices

   

One of the hardest things about traveling is that you can’t always control how your meals are prepared.  Every meal is more or less eaten out.  Depending on where you are, running to a local grocery store to getting some healthy staples to stock up in your room may be an option.  You can even get creative if you don’t have a refrigerator.   Once whiles in London on business, I could see that someone in the hotel had stored some groceries out on the ledge outside the windowsill.

Another plus is now days most hotels have plenty of healthier options at their breakfast buffets.  Breakfast is usually the one meal, I feel like I have the most control over.  Lunches may be prepared foods from a conference or challenging to run out and get in between meetings.  So I try to load up on fresh fruit and vegetables along with my protein at breakfast.  That way as the day goes and meal options are perhaps less in my control, I know I have had a healthy start to the day.

Its well worth looking into the hotel you are staying at to ensure it either has a breakfast menu that will work for you, or  that its ideally situated near some healthy alternatives or near a grocery store.

2.   Juices 

I go in search of juices!  Sometimes, I get lucky and I can find my favorite, a good green juice at a hotel on their breakfast menus. Other times, I can find a juice place nearby.   While at a conference in Tampa, there was a mall connected to the hotel, and it had an athletic store across from the food court, and so as part of the store, they offered smoothies, and quinoa bowls and all sorts of  juices.  I got may daily green juice while traveling.  On other occasions, a juice place was a bit farther away, but I took and Uber there and back, and stocked up.  Again, this is where the hotel room and whether or not it has a option to keep the juices refrigerated comes in handy.

3.  Portion Sizes

Taking a page out of the book from spa cafes and their meals, I do try to manage the portion sizes.   This is especially important, because once again, you don’t control the way in which food is prepared.   Keeping the portion sizes in check, helps avoid extra calories from the oils and butters that may go into a dish.   And just to show you its not always healthy foods all the time for me, I do indulge from time to time.  We can get caught up at dinners with clients or colleagues and it can be easy to over indulge.   However, if you pay attention to portion sizes, like they do at spas, you can enjoy the cuisine without being to disruptive to your normal routine.

4. Outdoor Dining 

Spas like Miraval and Mii Amo have outdoor dining options.  For me, there is just something about dining outdoors that just puts me in fun and relaxation mode.  Maybe because its associated with warmer temperatures.   The outdoor spit doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact at the spas, its not fancy given you can dine in your robes.  Btw, I am not advocating that at a regular hotel 😉 but you can take an opportunity while on a business trip to find an outdoor spot.  Having a break from days spent indoors at meetings or conventions can be a nice change of pace.  So get some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors!

5. Nature’s Finest 

Fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly those that are local and in season, are always the main ingredients of spa cuisine and the corner stone of a spa-inspired lifestyle.   So, while traveling try to eat in season and make use of the local produce.  With farm-to-table momentum, this is actually getting easier to find.  And in some respects in other countries this is more standard.     I was amazed to find this set up at a hotel in Costa Rica.  The honeycombs had been removed from the beehive and set up in the restaurant.  The honey would run down to a well where people could spoon it onto their tea,  fresh fruit, or yogurt and granola,  and even pastries.

6. Natural Setting and Views 

Nature is always a central feature of the best destination spas.  The same goes for major hotel and resort spas – they take advantage of spectacular views.   So, take some time to enjoy the views.  You don’t always  have to be outside. Just sitting by a beautiful view from a window during the winter rainy days, is good.   And yes, sometimes it may only be of a pool, but a view that inspires relaxation and is enjoyable is really the whole point. Water is water, be it pool or ocean!

7.  Physical Activity 

It is important to keep up with your physical activity while travels.  Some hotels gyms are great, but let’s face it, some can be downright awful.  Sometimes you just need to get creative.  For me, I do a lot of workouts that aren’t in gyms, but rather at the pool, or yoga or pilates studios.   If there is a hotel pool, I take advantage of it.   I also like to make sure I can still get a yoga routine in, and so sometimes I will take a towel and put in on the floor in my hotel room and do some yoga. Although I am finding more yoga mats in hotel rooms.    Similarly, if you do programs that make use of body weight and resistance bands, you can stream those videos on a laptop or iPad and do those from the room. Some hotels are catering to the wellness traveler.  Hilton Hotel now offers Five Feet of Fitness so you can workout in your room.   One again, its worth doing your research on hotels, where you stay can really affect how easily (or not) you meet your wellness goals.

8.  Relaxation 

When I am away at a spa, I find myself doing a lot of time journaling, or reading when I need a break from the introspection.   I know hotel furniture and decor may not be the greatest, but you can still curl up with a good book or spend some time journaling while you are traveling. Its about taking some time for relaxation and building some self-care into your travel, especially when traveling for work.

9.  Tea 

Almost every hotel room these days has a coffee maker, and you can always use it for hot water.  I bring my favorite tea with me wherever I go.  I can always find hot water, either in the room, in the lobby, at a refreshment station at a conference or in the office I am visiting.  A little bit of relaxation in cup with team from home (or your favorite spa).

10.   And if you really need a spa treatment…

Chances are pretty good there is a hotel in the area with a spa.  There may even be  one where in the hotel you are at.  Some hotel spas are good and others, not so much – I have written about this.  You can also check out a local day spa nearby to try.  I travel to plenty of places for work  — Singapore, Costa Rica, Boston, London, Tampa, Nashville, Las Vegas are just a few.   I always find a spa and get some relaxation time.   in fact it is good after a long-haul flight.  Some spas in Asia even offer treatments to help counter jet lag. For some ideas, maybe even in a location your are visiting, check my #SpaBucketList.

The more I started looking for spa-inspired wellness activities while I was traveling for work, the easier it became.   What I realized is that more than anything, spas provide us with an opportunity to slow down, be present in the moment and make our well-being a priority.  Looking for spa-inspired activities on this challenge forced me to be present in the moment and served as a welcome break form the hustle and bustle of traveling for work.   In reality, it is all about being mindful.

Ready To Add More Self-Care to Your Travel? 

What self-care activities can you incorporate into your business travels? What ways can you find to focus on wellness on your next trip for work or pleasure (or both)?  How else can you make your wellbeing a priority when traveling?  Need some help meeting your wellness goals or practicing self-care while traveling?  Love to Spa provides wellness travel coaching.  Find out more about our coaching programs here.