Cara Lisette

How To Look After Your Mental Health Whilst Travelling

Having mental health problems can make life difficult, but I am a firm believer that it shouldn’t stop you from doing anything you want to do.

As many of you will know, I have bipolar disorder and struggled with an eating disorder for many years. I also love to travel. Whilst it’s true that it might be slightly more challenging to travel if you struggle with your mental health, it is absolutely still possible and something I would recommend to anyone! I’ve learnt lots of ways to make travelling with mental health problems accessible, safe, and most of all, fun!

Cambodia

Be Prepared:

Pack everything you would use at home for your mental health. Medication, anything that calms you down or comforts you, and phone numbers for people to talk to if things get tough.

Get the right insurance. You don’t want to be worrying that if anything does go wrong, you won’t be covered for any support you might need.

Learn about the countries you’re visiting – the temperature, language, food, do’s and don’t’s. Know what you’ll be doing and when. Having some structure relieves a huge amount of anxiety for me, and helps me to feel prepared and ready to go.

Be Honest:

This was one of the more difficult things for me to learn. It’s natural to always want to keep up with what everyone else is doing, and to want to do every single thing that there is to offer. However, taking on too much can be detrimental to your mental and physical health. It’s so important to be able to say no sometimes, and to be honest with yourself and with other people about your limits. Some days you might need to take it easy, go to bed early, or spend some time alone – and that’s okay.

Look After Yourself:

There can be a tendency for people to go on holiday and think this is almost a free pass for eating terribly, drinking lots and generally not taking care of themselves. This is something I am often guilty of myself.

Going away can certainly be a great opportunity to unwind, but it’s important to remember that you have the same mind and the same body as you left home with. It still needs the same things to keep well as it did before leaving the country; be that a stable diet, enough sleep or time to yourself.

Don’t neglect your self care, your mind and body will thank you for it.

Be Kind to Yourself:

It’s entirely possible that your mental health might impact upon your time away. Mental illness is not a choice, and sometimes it can get the best of you no matter how much care you take. If that does happen, don’t beat yourself up – it’s not your fault. Don’t let one bad morning, or afternoon, or day, ruin the rest of your adventure. Every day is a new day to explore, eat new foods, meet new people, see new sights. Take each day as it comes, and try not to worry about the possibilities.

Make Memories:

Lastly – have an amazing time! Soak up everything, take lots of photos, keep a journal. Do whatever you need to do get the most out of your adventure.

Ubud, Bali

I strongly believe that travel should be something that anybody can do should they want to, and I really hope that this might have encouraged some of you who might’ve been worried about it to start thinking about your next trip!

This year I’ve been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia. I’ve got Edinburgh, Dublin and Spain to come still in 2018!

Where are you off to next?

19 comments

  2. This is so!e great advice! I recently went on holiday for the first time in a couple of years, and it’s the first time my mental health has really had an impact. I managed it though, and maybe we took things a little slower at times but it worked out in the end 😀

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  3. This is great advice. I recently went on holiday for the first time in a couple of years, and it’s the first time my mental health has really affected a holiday but we just took things a little slower and it worked out ok 😀

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  6. Ugh, I wish I had a better handle on my mental illness when I traveled to Spain. It would have truly helped me enjoy my trip. Thank you for the tips! It’s great to take the time to go to a quiet place on your travels and just breathe in the fresh air.

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  7. Wow, I never really thought about it like that. Travelling just always seemed like ‘oh well, better not venture there’. But you’re right. With the right accommodation, I can totally be just as stable as I am here. I’ll ask my psychiatrist about going on a vacation, I’ll tell her about your post too. Thanks for this!

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  8. Reblogged this on Nutritious Thoughts and commented:
    Ahhhh, summer-time: the season of beach weekends, family vacations, trips, and travel.  This time of the year can be a whirlwind of fun and adventure, but let’s get real – it can also be extremely stressful and challenging for recovery. 

    How can we take recovery on vacation with us?  How do we maintain the efforts necessary to stay stable and safe without compromising enjoyment and spontaneity?  

    Check out this post from Moods, Meds, and Meals, a mental health and lifestyle blog, on how to care for yourself and still enjoy the summer (or any season, really) of fun around you. 

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    • Actually that’s usually the worst bit because I can at least speak to my boyfriend while I’m away – can’t speak to my cat! I just make sure whoever is looking after him gives me regular photo updates. I only felt homesick once and that was when I was away for a month, other than that it’s usually too busy to miss home! X

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  10. Cambridge u.k 1st July for brother’s 60th birthday & his College reunion, Lytham St Anne’s, u.k. for my birthday on 12th July to see Rod Stewart on 13th. July and The Gambia at the beginning of December for 3 months.

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