22 Tips to Stay Healthy While on Vacation ⋆ Celebrate Life in the Middle

Celebrate life in the middle - Tips for Staying Healthy While on Vacation

Being a nurse makes me always consider the health and wellbeing of my family and myself, especially when travelling. One of the great joys in my life is visiting new places and experiencing the culture, people, landscape, food, and drink. Over the years I’ve developed many tips to stay healthy while on vacation .

I so miss travelling and can’t wait to get back to it when Covid is finally gone from our daily vocabulary. Living in Canada, each year I look forward to a winter vacation from the bitter cold. And this year, I am happy that we haven’t had any -30 degree days (yet). That comment likely just jinxed us. Ooops…

With people now able to get the vaccine, more people are thinking about travelling again. But how do we stay safe and healthy even after the Covid-19 threat is gone? Well I have 22 tips that I’ve been using for years to stay healthy while on vacation, and you can use them to help reduce your risk.

22 Tips to Stay Healthy While on Vacation

Make sure you are up to date with your immunizations. Check with your public health department or your doctor at least 6 months before you travel to see if you need any vaccines recommended for the area you are travelling to. Sometimes vaccines need to be ordered in, and vaccines also require time for the antibodies to take full effect- so plan well in advance.
Get enough sleep before you travel. Sleep deprivation can make your immune system unable to fight infection adequately. I struggle with this before trips as my anxiety ramps up before we leave when I’m trying to get everything done and planned and then end up sleeping poorly, making me exhausted before we leave.
Make sure you have adequate travel insurance! I can’t emphasize this enough. I’ve observed several circumstances where people were faced with scary situations because they didn’t buy travel insurance for their trips out of country. You need to have adequate coverage for your trip in case of illness or emergency when you can’t access your country’s healthcare insurance. Make sure you know what your coverage is, and what you need to do when you need to seek medical attention. And read the fine print now, before you’re in the middle of an emergency!
Always check the travel advisories prior to going. You can find the latest travel advisories at travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories . More people book travel online now so we don’t have travel agents advising us of any restrictions that may be in place for our destination. It’s best to check this out before you book your trip, and again just before you go.
Decrease your stress by planning ahead. I help decrease my travel anxiety by researching my destination thoroughly including:

Researching hotels, maps, excursions, restaurants, what the itinerary might look like, and any security considerations.
Using a packing list that I have perfected over the years so I know exactly what to bring. And packing early- not the night before!
Arriving at the airport on time, or even a bit early much to my husband’s annoyance.

Sit near the middle of the plane, just behind first class (if you aren’t in first class). You will have considerably less people walking past you if you sit in this area, as compared to the back of the plane.
Also, try to avoid aisle seats, especially if you can’t get a seat mid-plane. When passengers walk back and forth to the washroom at the back of the plane they often steady themselves with their hands on the headrests of the aisle seats. Not everyone washes their hands. Yuk!
Pack antibacterial wipes and wipe down the high touch areas around your seat, and the seat itself. Just in case. The wipes are great for your hotel room too, for those areas that might not get sanitized as well as they should be – door handles, TV remote control, blow dryer, etc.
Consider wearing travel compression socks. These can help prevent blood clots, help decrease swelling from long flights, and help make your legs more comfortable during flights (1). You should check with your physician or pharmacist first as these might not be recommended for you.
If you get anxiety when you travel, try practicing mindfulness and meditation to relax. There are great apps like Calm that can help you with this. If your anxiety is more like a panic attack when travelling, see your physician before you go for an anti-anxiety prescription if required.
Bring healthy snacks for the plane. Unfortunately, airport and airline food often isn’t all that healthy, although it has gotten better in recent years. If you bring your own, it will save money and you can be sure it is healthy. Also, don’t rely on trail mix or nuts. I have been on a few flights with passengers with severe nut allergies, and have been unable to eat my snacks.
Pack insect repellant! Some insects can cause nasty illnesses (ie: Zika, Malaria) and others can cause severe itchiness and skin reactions (ie: sand fleas).
Bring hand sanitizer that you can carry in your purse or pocket, for use when you are in areas without adequate hand washing facilities. Wash/sanitize your hands frequently!
Pack a small first aid kit. It’s sometimes difficult to find medications while in tourist destinations, and if you do, they can be costly. Include:

Various sizes of bandages
Antibiotic ointment or cream
Small bottle of antiseptic cleanser
Medication for diarrhea and constipation
Cold/flu medication
Throat losenges
Nasal sprays
Eye drops (great for the dry air in the airplane)
Anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen
Fever medicine like Acetaminophen
Anti-nausea medication
Allergy medicine
Anti-itch cream
Heartburn medication
Any prescriptions you have- but always put in your carry on in case your checked luggage is delayed or lost! Also carry extra medication in case you are delayed coming back home. Also, always carry all medications and vitamins in their original containers!

Get enough sleep on your trip. When we travel, we are so busy experiencing and trying to see everything, and that can wear us out and make us susceptible to injury or impair our judgement. Naps are nice- so indulge yourself if you need to!
Consume properly prepared food and drinks. Avoid undercooked meat, unpasteurized dairy, and food left out in the sun. Try to avoid raw foods unless you can clean them or peel them. Research the restaurants and food vendors in the area you are travelling to prior to leaving so you know what is safe and what is questionable. I use the TripAdvisor app a lot for researching restaurants.
Wear sunscreen- always! Reapply often!
Drink plenty of water! Some areas you may need to make sure you have bottled water on hand, so research this before you go.
Get active if you can- it helps keep our immune system working optimally. It’s easy to keep active on vacation with walking/hiking while sightseeing, swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, etc. The list is endless, and we have the time when on vacation so have fun!
Pay attention to how you feel and take a break if you need to. Trying to see everything on your trip can tire you out, making you susceptible to injury or illness. Take care!
Try not to overindulge in alcohol. This leaves you more vulnerable to theft or being taken advantage of. Keep your wits about you and always keep an eye on your drink!
Lastly, do not travel if you are ill. Enough said.

I hope that you can use this list of tips to keep you healthy while on your next vacation. If you have any tips to share that aren’t on this list, please include them in the comments below! Safe travels when you’re off on your next adventure. I’m planning mine now!

Please note that while I am a registered nurse, I am not your nurse and my opinions above do not constitute or replace medical advice. Please discuss any questions or concerns with your physician prior to travelling. Also, see my disclaimer here for more information.

Take care,

Celebrate Life in the Middle Blog