Vacations
How do you feel about travelling? I remember how I felt: anxious.
In college my boyfriend and I were planning to go on a spring break trip with some of our friends. We had planned a trip to a much warmer, sunnier location and were finalizing all of the lake and party plans. Days before we left I found myself in a conversation with one of the girls who was going. We were talking about new diets we could try, what meals we could or couldn’t have, and pointing out all of the “problem places” we imagined in our outfits.
Maybe you have felt the same way. Maybe you think of the same anxieties I use to think about, sitting in a plane or car all day, eating out at restaurants, or what you might wear. Maybe you have anxiety around flying or where you are going and your eating disorder just seems to get louder, even if you are excited about the trip!
Recently, I have been travelling a lot more and reflecting about how differently I feel now and remembering how I felt then. Sweet friend, if you are still in this place I see you and I want to give you some of my favorite travel day tips to help you before your next adventure.
Let’s talk planning! If you have a trip planned and start to feel that familiar anxiety bubbling up and you have a care team, talk to them! Your care team can help you come up with a plan for meals while you are travelling as well as help you think through the specifics of what is causing you anxiety. Don’t have a team yet? That’s okay, feel free to reach out to me and I can help get you connected!
Imagine yourself while you’re travelling, how would you like to feel? It can be easy to think about how you are feeling in the moment which could be anxiety or fear. However, thinking about how you would like like to be feeling can help you think about a plan to get there. Of course, you might not be able to go from anxious to excited just from thinking about it but you can start to take baby steps to get there.
Practice mindfulness techniques. Breathing, meditating, or praying can all be helpful in calming your anxiety. On the day you are travelling going back to these things that ground you can be helpful but it also takes practice! If you have thought about trying meditation or breathwork now could be a great time to start practicing it, that way when you get to the airport or into the car you can go back to what you’ve practiced.
Remember that you’re not on vacation from self care! It can be so easy to get wrapped up in all of the fun or activity that is happening while you are travelling but making sure that you stay strong in your self care routines will help to make sure that you stay on track with your recovery! Self care might look different while you are travelling but it can also add to some of the options you might have, like making a day out of going to the spa or getting your nails done with friends/family.
Set your boundaries. As much fun as it might be to travel with friends or family, they might not all know how to support your recovery or even know that you are in recovery! Make sure that you are clear on what you are okay and not okay with. If you need to meet meal goals at certain times it’s okay to tell the people around you that you’re hungry and need to eat! If someone is commenting on your body you have permission to ask them not to do so, or remove yourself from the conversation.
Dress comfortably! If you need it, I am giving you the permission to wear clothing that feels comfortable while you are travelling!
Pack snacks and drinks that you enjoy having. Being prepared with snacks that you enjoy can help you stay on track with your goals and prepared to meet your bodies needs to have fun and have energy while travelling!
I hope that these tips help you on your next adventure, if you need more help or support I am here to help you! Your eating disorder may want to be in control but you don’t have to let it control your trips or your life!
