Hello everyone and welcome back
to another blog post!
Today’s post is going to be all
about how to get back into the swing of things after you’ve been travelling.
Whether it was a weekend get-away, a holiday abroad, or just a regular road trip,
we all know how strenuous travelling can be.
I’m someone who loves to travel
in the sense that I want to get to my destination immediately and enjoy my time
while I’m there, but I hate the journey! I get tired and bored, and there’s
only so many songs you can listen to before you start to fidget in your seat!
Recently, I’ve travelled to
Zambia (check this post here if you missed that announcement!), and within
Zambia I’ve been to Lusaka, Kabwe, Kitwe, Ndola, and Kapiri, all within 2
weeks! Having a routine when getting back into the swing of things can make the
whole transition process easier and you’ll be ready for your next trip in no
time!
Let’s get into the routine!
SHOWER & SKINCARE
Before I even unpack my things, I
always head straight for the shower. A shower just makes me feel clean and
fresh, and it also helps with tired muscles. After being on a plane for almost
10 hours, this was most definitely what I needed!
I also make sure to do my
skincare routine when I get back. Recently, I have wanted to try out new
products that I hadn’t heard of before in the UK. I also received some products
from my mum when she went to China and they have been fun to experiment with!
But the steps are the same:
cleanse, exfoliate (every two days), tone, sheet mask (once a week), and moisturise.
The plane can make my face dry and dehydrated so I love to give some love to my
skin as soon as I get the chance.
UNPACK
Next comes unpacking! I know that
a lot of people love to procrastinate this crucial step but honestly, getting
it done and out of the way early will make things so much easier for you later on.
I unpack everything as soon as I’ve
had my shower and skincare session. I unpack my handbag or backpack depending
on what I used, and my suitcase if I carried one. I separate the clean clothes
from the dirty ones, I put away electronics, books, the contents of my handbag,
shoes and whatever else I travelled with.
It can seem like a mammoth task especially
if you don’t pack light, but this is the question I pose to you: would you
rather have instant gratification or long-term fulfilment? Leaving a task until
the last minute can be a great feeling in the moment but sooner or later, you’ll
have a lot of rubbish that has accumulated that you could have dealt with ages
ago!
I think the general rule of thumb
is to unpack your belongings within one day of being back, otherwise it’ll get
more and more difficult to do so!
EAT & HYDRATE
The next part is to nourish your
body.
Travelling can really shake up
your regular routine, and for me I feel this the most with meals. I can go from
having three meals a day to only one or two! Hydration is also difficult; if I
don’t travel with a water bottle I can go a whole day without having drank any
water. Not good.
When I get back, I drink a cup of
hot water. Hot water is great for digestion and metabolism and I can feel it
warming up my insides. It’s also great for blood circulation, which I definitely
need after being sat in the same position for a long time! Sometimes I add some
grated ginger and lemon juice for some flavour and if I’m sick, I add a
teaspoon of honey. But, drinking plain hot water is great too!
As for food, 9 times out of 10 I
have eaten something unhealthy as I’m travelling and it’s just more convenient.
When I get back, however, I try to get back to eating healthy. For breakfast I’ll
have some porridge with a mug of hot water, and for lunch and dinner I’ll have
a lot of vegetables with some starch and protein.
For snacks I’ll stick to fruit.
Unfortunately, there are no Nakd Bars this side of the equator, so simple fresh
fruit will have to do!
YOGA FLOW
After I’ve eaten and I’m
satisfied, I’ll try to do a yoga flow. This is a mental practise as much as it
is physical, and I have to say, I never feel bad after doing some yoga!
I’ve talked about how much I love
yoga in previous blog posts, so check out this one, and this one to
see why I love it so much!
NAP
The last thing to do is to give
my body some rest. After spending so much time with inadequate sleep, I know
what my body needs is to relax and begin to heal itself.
Sleep is so important for so many
reasons like helping to reduce stress, and improving your immunity. After
sleeping for a few hours here and there, or sleeping in awkward positions, the
only thing I want to do is crawl into bed and wake up feeling refreshed and
ready to go!
I typically get 8 hours of sleep,
but depending on the time I arrive from my trip, even 1 or 2 hours can be just
fine for me!
And that’s it!
This routine has been helping me
out so much since I started to travel a lot in a short space of time. It was
definitely a shock to the system but having a routine to fall back on (you guys
know I love my routines!) has been such a lifesaver.
I am curious to know what your
reset routines look like after you’ve been travelling. Leave your links below
and I’ll be sure to check them out!
