Tips to Find The Balance of Work Related Travel, One Month- 3 Yoga Retreats- 5 Countries

In the month of May alone I spent 18 hours in cars, 16 hours on planes, 10 hours on ferries, 9 hours on trains, 5 hours on buses and endless hours on foot across five European countries. This was in between organizing 3 yoga retreats of 8-10 people, 45 hours of yoga instruction intertwined with a few travel excursions of my own. “One the go” hardly covers this 30 day adventure.

The memory of hunching over my old desk at a stuffy sales cubicle in San Diego, just

Backpacking- On the Road

daydreaming of a life abroad, is still fresh in my mind. It was four years ago, almost to the month, when I said goodbye to routine, two weeks vacations annually, steady income and complete security.

Back then, I never even fathomed having the ability to make my way through Norway, Croatia, Spain, Sweden and Denmark in a month! However, as exciting as it all may sound, lets not forget, it is WORK! A sales career is difficult, but travel jobs are tolling in a different way, primarily if you don’t incorporate proper balance.

I’m a people person. I love feeding off of the energy of others, sharing stories, listening and picking people up when they are down. This is why I love to teach yoga, to increase the courage and strength of others, both mentally and physically. On the other hand, the act of constantly being “on” psychologically is simply draining. Mainly when you don’t have much alone time to regroup and recharge. Mix this with hopping around the globe and it can be exhausting.

Even though I love the life of traveling for both work and pleasure, it requires balance, just as everything else in our lives. By June 1^st I couldn’t even pull myself out of bed. My entire body ached, I was dehydrated and suffered from a pounding headache. I needed a full 24 hours of rest just to think properly again!

However,  this type of crash is completely avoidable if you make the time to take care of yourself. Here are a few tips as to how.

1. Rest: Sleep is important to both public and mental health. Insufficient sleep is linked to vehicle accidents, work errors, industrial errors, mental crashes and so on. Therefore, you must get your Z’s. Plan an early bedtime whenever you possibly can and attempt to get at least 6-8 hours of rest.
2. Healthy Diet: It is SO easy to eat bad when you are on the road. “Fast Food” is the most convenient way to go. When you are constantly shuffling around, you forget to eat regularly, leading to the tendency to shove down whatever food you can get your hands on, healthy or not! So plan your meals and pack them ahead of time. It’s also cheaper this way. Hit a grocery store instead of an overpriced airport pizza joint. Also, just because your traveling doesn’t mean you need a 5 course meal every evening! Mainly when you travel for work.
3.  Drink Water: Dehydration can easily occur during travel. You don’t always have access to clean water, you are on the go and during air travel the low humidity levels cause dehydration. So, do your research on which countries have safe drinking water and bring a camelbak to fill up! Or, spend the extra few dollars on bottled water. Also, reduce the amount of dehydrating beverages such as coffee and tea.
4. Alone Time: Everybody needs a little self tender loving care. Mainly when your jobs requires you to daily interact with others, as most jobs do. So take the time out for your own pleasure. Go on  walk, take a hike, or just enjoy a warm cappuccino at a café, but DO IT ALONE!
5. Plan Properly: Last but not least, make sure to schedule your work travel for success. At minimum add a day or two of rest and reflection in between events, to regroup and allow your mind to clear. Try to add in some yoga or exercise routines into your weekly plan as well.

Beach Yoga, Vis, Croatia

All in all, work travel is fulfilling, adventurous and fun. You will never find me complaining about my travel jobs.  Teaching yoga to an amazing group on the white pebble beach of a Croatian Island is a dream come true. I’m just reminding you to make sure to incorporate balance, so you are healthy enough to enjoy beauty of your surroundings.