Wellbeing tips for travel writers
This article is for anyone who writes and/ or travels a lot.
My travel writer career has gone from travel consultant to travel business owner to burnout to personal blog to yoga teaching to travel writing.
It has taken some adjustment to go from regular yoga mat work to desk-based work.
The shift from teaching yoga regularly to writing travel guidebooks has revealed the physical impact of working on a screen, sitting at a desk, dealing with deadline stress, and spending extended time travelling.
In this article, I will address some potential health imbalances encountered by travel writers and share some of my tried-and-tested solutions.
Imbalances I struggled with as a travel writer include;
shortened muscles and tension in the body from desk-based work
eye strain from looking at a screen, reading and writing
effects of long-haul flying
disrupted home routine
extended periods alone when in the creating mode
creativity overwhelm
writer's block mental frustration
Tried and tested solutions to bring balance;
For the body
Online classes help to retain a yoga practice even when travelling. I am a big fan of Yoga with Adriene for her short and playful 20-30 min free YouTube classes, including this Yoga for Writers class. She is accessible for all levels, and her positivity sets the day up beautifully. I also enjoy Yoga with Kassandra for her 60-minute yin yoga classes, which are perfect for deep stretch, relaxation and release. The main areas of the body I have noticed that quickly fatigue when I am writing a lot are the wrists from typing and handwriting, the hips, backs of legs, and lower back from sitting. But, as the whole body is connected, any movement will help; 10-15 minutes of yoga per day can keep the body open and lengthen the muscles.
For the eyes
I was recently prescribed glasses for the first time, which sent me off to google ‘healthy eye exercises’. For vision, I have noticed a need to rest my eyes are extended time on a screen, and do some exercises to reduce the strain. I am now really enjoying the Figure of 8 exercise which I found in this round up by Donna Eden. She has several, worth trying a few to see which one work best for you.
For after long-haul travel
When travelling between Australia and Morocco last Summer, I was reminded of the bizarre and slightly alarming sight of swollen ankles. In addition to the physical signs, being ‘up in the air’ affects me energetically; I need to get grounded. Again, a yoga class for grounding can help, and I find putting my legs up against a wall is a game-changer for circulation and reducing the feet swelling! Adriene has a video for this too.
For mental calm when creating
When crafting a new piece, a gazillion ideas begin to flood my head. It can be hard to focus, and I often have restless sleep. I need to get out of my head and be more in my body. This is where I would prescribe yoga nidra. Ally Boothrod has a selection of different yoga nidra recordings on her YouTube channel.
For writer's block
This usually happens when I get overwhelmed! A remedy is to get (the ego) out of the way. How? Take a few moments to close your eyes and see yourself as a channel. Connect to your version of Source, higher self, God, Universe, who or whatever it is, and visualise that you have everything you need to craft the perfect piece. Picture that when you sit down to plan, research or write, the ideas and words are going to flow through you effortlessly. It helps to remember that I am the channel, it is not ‘my’ knowledge. I am here to create using a gift of writing, sharing what comes through me with others. Sometimes affirmations help, as does setting a clear intention.
I hope some of the above will find their way to help anyone in need. Thank you for reading and being part of this blogging journey.
Until next week, bslama (goodbye)!
