How To Turn Any Trip Into A Wellness Retreat

Let’s be honest: Traveling isn’t all cute selfies and mouth-watering meals. (Though, don’t get us wrong, they’re definitely perks.) Whether you’re exploring a national park with your family, celebrating your bestie’s bachelorette in Tulum, or flying across the country for a business trip, packing your bags and going somewhere new can be totally stressful. Adjusting to a new time zone? Navigating a new-to-you city? Foreign languages? No wonder why it takes the average person three days to actually feel relaxed on a vacation. In fact, a 2024 survey from Babbel found 69% of Gen Z travelers are so anxious about traveling that they’ve changed or canceled their plans.

Leaving home doesn’t have to be overwhelming, though. The secret, experts say, is to prioritize your body and mind. “When people book a vacation, they do it because they want to leave behind their current routine at home or work,” says Colleen O’Neill Mulvihill, founder of Holistic Health Traveler and a board-certified health coach who specializes in travel. But on its own, a change of scenery isn’t necessarily enough to recharge. “Just getting away may not be restorative if you don’t design the getaway around your well-being.”

To help, a handful of pros share their best advice for transforming any voyage into a mini wellness retreat. (Yes, even those hectic business trips.) From mindset shifts to must-pack essentials, the tips below will help you kick back, relax, and actually enjoy yourself.

Make Turbulence Less Scary

For many, stress kicks in the moment they board a flight. A recent poll commissioned by The Points Guy found that 88% of Americans have a fear of flying. “[Planes] can leave people feeling out of control and vulnerable, helpless, in danger, and trapped if they need to get out for any reason,” says Nathan Feiles, LCSW-R, an integrative therapist who specializes in flying phobias.

To start your trip on a serene note, Feiles recommends rating each bump in turbulence on a scale from one to 10. “People often go into all the ‘what if’ thoughts,” he says. This exercise can help remind you that there’s a middle ground between a smooth flight and catastrophe.

If power-ranking a patch of rough air feels too nerve-wracking, focus on staying present and tampering what he calls “imaginative thoughts.”

“Try to find and label five things in the plane that are blue, five things that are orange, etc. until the panic slows down,” he says.

Set An Intention

According to Dr. Charlotte Russell, a clinical psychologist and founder of the blog The Travel Psychologist, it’s helpful to kick off any trip with a positive yet realistic mindset. “If we expect that it’s going to be blissful for every single moment, and that nothing will go wrong, we are likely to be disappointed,” she says. Hopefully, there will be plenty of ups, but it’s OK (and normal) to have downs, too.

To navigate those stressful times, Russell suggests setting an intention before you go. Do you want to unplug from social media and chill? Are you craving connection with your significant other? If you’re traveling for work, do you have specific business goals in mind? “Think about what would be in line with your intention if delays or disappointments happen,” she says. “Most of the time, the best strategy is to make the most of the situation.”

Ask For The Right Room

Your hotel is more than just a crash pad — it can set the tone for your trip. If you’re seeking relaxation and better sleep, let the staff know. “Oftentimes, they will accommodate your request for a quiet room, one at the end of the hall, or in the back of the hotel away from the busy street below,” Mulvihill says.

Create A Home Away From Home

Again, no guarantees, but you can try asking for custom in-room amenities so you can replicate your usual routine. Anna Gilbert, founder and lead travel designer at the agency Upannaway, always informs hotels about her clients’ preferences ahead of time. “That may mean having almond milk in the fridge so that you can have your coffee, or extra water at turndown,” she says.

Travel Containers Are Really Worth It

Gilbert recommends packing your favorite skin care products in small (3.4-oz or less) bottles. “You don’t have to sacrifice how you treat your body while you’re away,” she says. Look for TSA-compliant containers that are reusable and leak-proof. Not only do Cadence’s vessels tick off all the boxes, but they’re also made with recycled materials so Mother Nature will approve.

Spritz Away Stress

“Lavender pillow spray is a nice way to unwind and make an unfamiliar place feel calming and peaceful, and usually makes for a lovely night’s sleep,” Gilbert says. The scent may even reduce insomnia and anxiety — two things that bring down any trip.

Streamline Your Schedule

Look, packing your itinerary with museum visits, walking tours, and late nights out isn’t doing you any favors. “We all know people who need a vacation from their vacation,” Mulvihill says.

Instead of trying to squeeze your money’s worth out of every second, she recommends choosing one must-do experience per day — or less if you want to just chill — and building in open days for relaxing. “Don’t come home more exhausted than when you left,” she says. “It completely defeats the purpose of a getaway.”

Follow The “One To One” Rule

“Vacations are when people tend to drink more alcohol than they normally would at home,” Mulvihill says. Those poolside daiquiris can lead to dehydration, which can cause nausea, headaches, and dizziness. To feel your best, Mulvihill suggests matching every serving of alcohol with a glass of water.

Packing a collapsible bottle like this one from HydraPak makes it easier to hydrate throughout the day.

Inhale, Exhale

From getting lost to overcoming language barriers, travel stress is inevitable. Research suggests that breathwork can help decrease stress and anxiety levels as well as increase your mood. For an easy but effective exercise you can do anywhere, Whipple likes the 4-7-8 technique: Simply inhale in through your nose for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale out of your mouth for eight. Repeat this cycle four times and feel your travel stress melt away.

Sources:

Colleen O’Neill Mulvihill, CHNC, BCHC, CTC, board-certified health coach and founder of Holistic Health Traveler

Nathan Feiles, LCSW-R

Charlotte Russell, clinical psychologist and founder of the blog The Travel Psychologist

Anna Gilbert, founder and lead travel designer at Upannaway

Michelle Whipple, retreat director at Sensei Lanai