Traveling can be an incredible experience! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of visiting a new place and learning about different cultures and customs. Every journey is unique and comes with its own set of special experiences. From meeting new people and trying new cuisines to exploring different landscapes and making memories that will far outlive the moment.
Even when you’re beyond excited about traveling there can still be challenges and adversities to overcome at times.
First, we never want to get sick, but especially when we’re enjoying a vacation. I pretty much maintain the same immune supporting routine regardless of whether I’m home or traveling. I might just use a little more caution, understanding that I’ll be exposed to a lot more people and variables when I travel.
The doTERRA On Guard® product line up are a must for supporting a healthy immunity, at least for my family. We take the On Guard® + Softgels daily, I’ll diffuse the oil if we’re staying in a hotel room, I carry the On Guard® Sanitizing Mist and On Guard® Sanitizing Wipes with me wherever we go. Plus [not pictured], I have a travel foaming hand pump so I can have the On Guard® Foaming Hand Wash with me at all times.
The Second most popular adversity to traveling can be our stress level. Am I going to make my flight? Does the hotel have my reservation? Dealing with random people, or dare I say family, who may or may not bring out the best in you. The list seems endless of things that can trigger our anxiety and stress.
I’m a huge fan of the doTERRA Adaptiv™ System. This Calming blend comes in three forms for ease of use that support all things mental wellness. For travel, specifically, it helps to calm my nerves and keep me levelheaded when I’m exposed to new environments and the unknowns. I also like to have Serenity and Balance on hand when I travel. Serenity will shut the wheels off in your head, so whether you need it for the plane ride or to help you go to sleep at night, this is a must-have for travel. Balance Grounding Blend is how I start my day, by putting the essential oil blend on the bottoms of my feet. I do this part of my morning routine before I meditate. When I’m on vacation it really helps to keep me level-headed by minimizing feelings of frustration and bringing me into a state of tranquility.
Along with the stressors of traveling can also come tension. This might manifest itself as head tension or it could surface in your neck, shoulders, back and beyond.
PastTense® Tension Blend can be applied to the neck, shoulders, or behind the ears for a cooling, soothing sensation. AromaTouch® is a perfect blend of Cypress, Peppermint, Marjoram, Basil, Grapefruit, and Lavender that has a multitude of benefits for comfort, relaxation, and lessen tension. The Deep Blue® line of products has super powerful ingredients that will cool and soothe the targeted areas. The bonus benefit to having this on vacation is to support your tired and achy muscles and feet after a long day of walking or playing around with the kids and contorting your body in ways you haven’t since high school (tee-hee!). The Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex® is a natural alternative to over-the-counter pain meds, plus it’s safe to take daily to support joint discomforts and functions.
Whether you’re off to explore driving across the country, cruising on a ship or flying to a far away destination some of us deal with a little motion sickness from time to time.
Inhale Ginger from palms of hands while on a long car ride or swaying back-n-forth on a boat or apply topically over lower abdomen. Ginger Digestive Drops combine Ginger and Lemon with a sweet base of organic cane sugar and organic brown rice syrup for a tasty treat to help ease stomach discomforts. Rub DigestZen® on the stomach before flying or taking a road trip or add a drop to your water or tea to when traveling or trying new foods. For those that have an aversion to Ginger or the Fennel and/or Anise in DigestZen, Peppermint might just be right up your ally. You can use it in the same ways. Plus, these products are excellent to have on vacation as you indulge in a plethora of foods that you might not typically eat!
If you’re planning to travel with essential oils here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
PACK PROPERLY
Avoid spills and breakage
by packing your essential oils in a sturdy carrying case
LABEL YOUR OILS
Label bottles with its name and intended use,
especially if you’ve made a custom essential oil blend
KEEP THEM COOL
Essential oils can lose their potency when exposed to heat
or sunlight for long periods of time,
so make sure to consider that when deciding
where to pack them (suitcase vs carryon)
BE MINDFUL
Be considerate of others in public spaces –
you don’t know who may be sensitive to aromas and/or have allergies
Jet lag is a common travel experience that can be annoying and even debilitating at times. It is caused by a disruption in your body’s circadian rhythm, which is the internal clock that tells you when it’s time to sleep and wake up, due to crossing multiple time zones. Jet lag can affect your mood, energy levels, and ability to focus.
Unfortunately, there’s no surefire way to avoid jet lag. However, there are some things you can do to reduce its effects.
If you have the ability to adjust your sleep and mealtimes, even slightly, to your vacation destination a few days before you leave, that can be helpful. Per the norm, you should also try to stay hydrated, as dehydration makes you more prone to jet lag. Avoid heavy meals and try to sleep on the plane, even if it’s just for a few hours. This will help you adjust to the new time zone more quickly.
Upon arrival, adjust your sleep and mealtimes to the local time zone as soon as possible. Also, try to get some natural sunlight soon after arriving and when acceptable, putting your bare feet on the local soil can also help. And I know it might be hard, but try to limit your caffeine intake as that can just exacerbate the jet lag.
Before you leave on your trip abroad, I would mix up this essential oil blend specifically to support your anticipated jet lag. 6 drops each: doTERRA On Guard®, Lemon, Tangerine, Peppermint & doTERRA DDR Prime®. Roll onto the soles of your feet, back of your neck and your wrists before and during travel to help ease jet lag symptoms.
Once you’re at your destination it’s important to protect yourself from the gorgeous sun rays. Beyond avoiding a sunburn and being miserable the rest of your trip with pain, itching or peeling skin, your older self will thank you for helping prevent untimely wrinkles and age spots too.
The doTERRA sun product line up is the perfect solution for all your natural SPF protection needs and even has an after-sun spray when you just didn’t apply quite enough. All the products in the doTERRA sun line are vegan friendly, reef safe and cruelty free. These nourishing formulas are antioxidant rich, super hydrating and free from oxybenzone, parabens and phthalates.
In order to take all these goodies with you when traveling sometimes you’ll have to get creative or use travel-sized containers. Check out my blog post
doTERRA Travel Minis to get inspired. Just know with a little planning you can be prepared to adjust and adapt quickly to whatever your travel plans throw at you.
xoDanette