How to Avoid Burn Out Through Self-Care and Travel

Avoiding burnout is hard in today’s world. Getting away often seems hard too. But the truth is, practicing self-care is one of the best ways to avoid burnout. What better way to care for yourself than by traveling?

Experiencing new places and things is a great way to enrich your life and revitalize yourself.

We’ve all been there. Well, at least I like to tell myself that so I feel slightly less alone on days when I’m struggling. The truth is, it doesn’t matter if you are a CEO, stay-at-home mom, or even a full-time content creator. 

Those buzz words… burn out and self-care. They apply to everyone. People have a habit of talking about self-care and promoting it to each other but, likely, they aren’t bothering to treat themselves to it. 

If you are a business owner, you know that running a business is not for the faint of heart. If you are a hard-working parent, you know that running a household is a whole production. 

Being in charge of tasks and people requires sacrifice, commitment, and a never-ending to-do list. 

While success is very much possible, it is unlikely to occur without coming into contact with a myriad of obstacles and the need to make tough choices.

Decision-making fatigue is a real thing and when your daily life consists of an ever revolving door of decisions to be made, you must set aside time to take care of yourself.

Doing this is the key to achieving a healthy work-life balance and avoiding burnout. A burned-out, drained leader or parent not inspire or motivate the people they look over.

Remember, you can’t give what you don’t have, you need to be at your best so that those around you can be too. The key is figuring out how to avoid burnout. 

What Does Burnout Look Like?

Burnout is a real thing, and it can hit even the most motivated and driven people. 

There are many signs of burnout and they vary from person to person. You will probably start to see the signs when it gets bad, these signs are given because your body and mind are trying to warn you that it may be time to take a step back and care for yourself.

If you notice that you never seem to feel rested even after you sleep well or that you are having a hard time getting as much done as usual, these may be signs that it is time to slow down.

You may also notice that you have developed a habit of finding the negatives in things or that your anxiety has increased, these can also be signs of burnout. 

Don’t worry though. You aren’t doomed. Once you notice these things in yourself or others, there are some things you can do to turn it around. All you need to do is become a bit more conscious about your self-care routine.

This can mean something as simple as spending a few extra minutes sipping your coffee alone each morning or finally setting aside time to plan your dream vacation (this is my personal favorite). 

We all need the opportunity to decompress. Taking a trip is a great way to do that. 

The Best Ways to Practice Self-Care

People practice self-care in different ways. For one person, self-care means an extra hour a week in the gym. For others, self-care means planning a climb to the highest peak in another country or a two-week adventure across Europe. I’ve personally done both of these.

For me, doing something thrilling that I have to work hard at (but that is not work or home-related) seems to turn a new leaf. I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from climbing to a mountaintop or exploring a new city. 

At the end of the day, when you choose to care for yourself, you’ll have more energy and the ability to focus on and tackle your goals. You will also have more energy and focus to give to the people around you. 

If you choose travel as a form of self-care it is also likely that you will learn a lot about yourself and come back a better person. 

Here are some great ways to practice self-care:

• Create “me time” in your daily routine.
• Exercise daily.
• Find ways to say no.
• Nourish your body.
• Enjoy a hobby.
• Make sleep a priority.
• Be in the moment. 
• Take a trip that will change you.

Incorporating these tips into your daily life can help you be at your best. Plus, when you’re feeling your best, you’ll have the confidence to make better decisions and take care of others.

Make Delegation a Thing!

Delegation can be a game-changer to offload some of the stress you’re experiencing in your day-to-day life! If you can, hand off some of your tasks to other team or household members.

I know, there are certain things that you think only you can do the right way. But sometimes it’s okay to let go of control, especially if it means avoiding burnout. Doing this can relieve some of the weight off of your shoulders and give others a chance to showcase their skills. 

Look at that! Two birds, one stone. 

I feel like one of the reasons people don’t plan vacations is because they are afraid to leave things behind. If you are a people pleaser like me you worry about the burden your commitment to self-care might put on others. 

People seem to worry that the world will stop revolving if they step away from their daily tasks. It won’t. And if it does… it will eventually begin to revolve again and likely more smoothly. 

This mindset can be so detrimental. It’s okay to take a break, especially if that break is going to enrich your life and make you excited about things again.

Traveling has changed my life. Yes, I feel selfish at times. But I have never regretted taking the time to experience new people and places. I always come out as a better person. 

How to Make Time for Self-Care and Travel

I know that time feels really hard to come by. You are probably wondering how the heck you going to make this happen. How will you find the time? I promise. There is time if you look hard enough and are willing to offload some tasks to others.

Since self-care is a great way to reduce stress and can positively impact your mental health… It is worth it to dig deep to find the time. Imagine feeling a boost in clarity and having increased creativity and productivity. 

Finding the time can make these things happen. 

It’s probably pretty clear by now that traveling is my favorite form of self-care, even if it’s just out of town for the weekend. 

Here are some ways you can add more self-care to your routine:

• Schedule it! Make it a priority just as you would any other appointment. 
• Come up with a list of self-care activities that you can do the moment you have a free minute. 
• Start your day with purpose. Take a moment to meditate, write down what you are grateful for, or plan a trip or activity you can look forward to 
• Don’t keep waiting for the right time to take care of yourself. Do little bits here and there while you figure out how to incorporate more. 

Here are some tips for making travel possible for you:

• Plan travel with your family members to start so you don’t feel guilty about taking time away from them.
• Plan trips during slower times. Avoid holidays and times when other people are also taking time off.
• Start by taking day or single-night trips to nearby locations so you don’t feel out of reach to those who may need you.
• Hire someone to help plan your trip so that you don’t feel guilty or stressed about spending time planning. 

Trust me, your body and mind will thank you when you take the time to care for yourself and experience new things. 

You will be a better human and that will encourage the other humans around you to look after themselves in the same way you have. It is time to prioritize self-care and give yourself a break now and then!

Making Traveling Part of Your Self-Care Routine

I strongly encourage everyone to make travel and new experiences part of their self-care routine. I understand that planning a trip can be stressful and many people have no idea where to start. 

Why not plan a trip to Italy? Germany maybe? Wherever speaks to your soul.

I love starting from scratch and picking through the internet. I also am a lover of Google Sheets and planning but I know that is not everyone’s jam. 

How will you make travel part of your new self-care routine?