Managing Mental Health While Traveling Abroad

Written by Maddie Eden, Marketing & Communications Intern

While a vacation sounds relaxing, traveling can cause an extreme amount of stress and might challenge your peace of mind.  Mental health management and self-care are different for everyone. What is important is to know what works for you so you can manage your mental health in the best way possible.  

Here are three ways to take care of yourself on your adventure! 

1. Remember that your mental health doesn’t take vacations

Traveling can be stressful! This is especially true when traveling abroad, due to language barriers, culture shock, and so on. While it can be easy to ignore your mental health and focus on your trip, this is one of the worst things you can do. As soon as you notice that something feels off, it’s best to try to fix it. Recognizing that your mental health still exists, even while on vacation, is the first step to taking care of yourself while abroad. 

2. Take time out of each day just for you

Take time at the end of each day to decompress and give yourself a break. You could try to keep a journal of your experiences to give yourself time to process everything that happened that day. You might “travel” to other worlds by reading or watching a movie. Maybe you prefer a mindless activity, like coloring or listening to music. Whatever self-care looks like for you, make sure you take time to do it at the end of each day to allow yourself to decompress and take a breather. 

3. Be gentle with yourself

Mental health is an ongoing journey, and it isn’t always easy. It can be especially frustrating when you’re traveling, and you want to make the most of your time away from home. Listen to yourself, take breaks when you need them, and be patient with the process. Mental health is a normal part of life, and it’s important to manage it, even – and especially – when you’re traveling.