How to Avoid Travel Stressors and Post Travel Fatigue

Have you ever come back from a holiday and uttered the phrase, "I need a holiday from my holiday"? On some occasions, I have let this phrase escape from my mouth. It's not that I'm not incredibly grateful for my travels or that I didn't enjoy them, just that I sometimes return even more exhausted than when I left for my trip. 

Holidays are supposed to be our breaks from reality. A time to detox from the stressors of our day to day lives and refresh our mental health and wellbeing. So then why does travelling often induce so much stress? And what can you do to avoid holiday stressors?


1. Not Preparing Enough
Spontaneous trips are always a lot of fun, especially if you're not Type A. But going to a new country or city and having zero clues about what there is to do or see can add unnecessary stress to a trip. You don't need to map out your trip minute by minute but come up with a short list of some places you might like to see or places you may want to eat. 

2. Over Planning
Including too much detail in your itinerary can be just as stressful as not having enough. When writing your itinerary, chances are, you already have too much on your list. Overplanning leaves no room for flexibility which could lead to the clashing of heads if you're travelling with other people. 

3. Trying To Do Too Much in One Trip
Similarly to overplanning, trying to do and see everything in one trip will leave you utterly exhausted. Continually going, going, going leaves zero room for rest and relaxation, can increase stress if your timeline gets thrown off, and doesn't leave any room for spontaneity. 

Do yourself a favour and set realistic goals for your travels. If something comes up, go with the flow. This will help decrease your travel stressors, allowing you to return home a bit more relaxed. 

4. Proper Nutrition
MAKE. SURE. YOU. ARE. EATING. ENOUGH. AND. DRINKING. ENOUGH. WATER! I cannot stress this enough. The amount of times I've crashed hard on holiday because I wasn't eating properly or drinking nearly enough times to count is higher than it should be. Do not ruin your trip due to dehydration or malnutrition. 

You do not need to go crazy eating out all the time. But if you're going on a day tour or a hike, pack some snacks and extra water. If you're on a bit of a budget, make meals for yourself at your hotel/hostel/wherever. Always carry a water bottle with you! Your body will thank you when you're older (or that day). 

5. Schedule a Recovery Day
We've all done it. Flown a red-eye home and gone straight into work. In your early 20's, yea this isn't a problem. But as you get older and jetlag really hits, do yourself a favour and book in a recovery day. Not allowing your body to rest will wreak havoc on your system. I tend to get super sick if I do not allow a day of rest post travel. Not only does my health suffer but my attention and job performance tend to decrease as well. 

Do not get me wrong, travelling is an incredible gift, and not everyone gets to travel. But it can take a toll on your body. If you listen to your body and take some time to rest, you'll have a wonderful holiday. And seriously, take the extra day to get back into the swing of ordinary life. 

Share your tips for beating post travel fatigue in the comments below!

And until next time...

Stay curious!