4 Tips For Staying Healthy During Holiday Travel

I’m super excited today because winter break is finally here! We have a fun trip planned after Christmas which involves (hopefully) a lot of rest, relaxation, some tennis, and quiet popcorn and movie nights with the family. After such a busy month I just want to decompress between Christmas and New Years. Sadly I can’t relax when I’m at home because everywhere I turn there’s something to do!

One thing that could turn my grand plan for massive r + r on its head is coming down with a cold on vacation. Lately it seems like everyone I know is sick. Fingers crossed that we avoid any major illnesses! I don’t get sick often but I have noticed that when I travel I’m more susceptible to picking up a cough or cold. There are definitely some tricks to staying healthy during the holiday travel season so today I’m sharing a few tried and true and some new tips that I’m adopting.

#1 Boost Your Vitamin C

It’s so important to protect your immune system while you are traveling and in the air especially. You are in a closed environment with a lot of dry air and a ton of germs. The best defense is a good offense. When I know I’m going to be traveling, I try to make sure I’m eating healthy and getting plenty of Vitamin C. Now that I know about this lemon and olive oil flush which has a ton of Vitamin C, I’m going to prepare by having it every day for a few days before we leave. You can read more about the health benefits of this drink here.

#2 Carry An Empty Water Bottle Through Security

Lack of humidity in a pressurized airplane cabin dries you out. When the membranes in your sinuses and throat are dry, it’s harder for your body to flush out germs. That means staying hydrated during travel is critical to defending against bacteria and viruses. When I’m waiting to board my flight I always make sure to fill my water bottle at the water fountain if I can or I purchase a large bottle of water if I can’t. I start hydrating before I step foot on the plane. Once I’m on board I keep hydrating with water or hot tea when it is offered.

#3 Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes and Nose

When your eyes and nose feel dry we have a tendency to rub them but that is the exact opposite of what you want to do! Touching the eyes and nose are the primary means of transmitting viruses from germs on your hands. A dab of aquaphor or petroleum jelly can keep your nasal tissues from drying out which may make it less tempting to rub your nose especially during times of the year when you are suffering from allergies.

#4 Get Plenty of Sleep Before Travel Begins

Easier said than done, right! I look to my vacation as an opportunity to catch up on rest. Sleep is our body’s natural way of rebooting and if we are overly fatigued or tired we are more susceptible to illness. My downfall is that I’m usually up very late at night a few days before any trip doing laundry, packing, and getting organized. Add in the hustle and bustle of entertaining around the holidays and I know I’m going to have a lot of late nights ahead of me. But it really comes down to a lack of motivation. I hate packing so I just drag it out to the last minute and it ends up being a really painful eleventh hour activity. I know if I pull out the suitcases a little earlier and start throwing things in as I think of them I could finish it earlier and faster. That’s my goal this time around. I’m pulling out the suitcases right now. Wish me luck!

I’d love to grow this list. If you have tricks for staying healthy during travel I’d love to hear about them! Leave me a comment below.

Outfit Details: Cold Shoulder Sweater | White Jeans | Coat (old) similar here and here | Boots (old) similar here and here | Hobo | Sunglasses

Krisztina Kovacs Photography

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