Traveling is among the most relaxing activities you can do for yourself. When you travel, you get to see new attractions and taste delicacies you may never get to eat at home. You also get to meet new people, know different cultures, sleep in luxurious hotels, or go on exhilarating adventures. Overall, the concept of traveling is about going out into the world with open-mindedness and readiness to explore anything that would boost your mood and spirit.
One way to improve your travel experiences and adventures is by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is the act of putting yourself in the present moment with the openness and willingness to see and feel everything that’s going around you. Practicing mindfulness while on vacation helps you become more appreciative of every moment – from going onboard your airplane, arriving at the destination, and relaxing by the white seashore.
To help you become a mindful traveler, here are some tips on how you can practice mindfulness while you’re on vacation.
- Slow Down
It’s prevalent for some travelers to try and visit as many destinations as possible in a day. And so, they end up rushing from one destination to the next to ensure they get to snap a lot of pictures from all the attractions. While they may be able to take as many pictures as you can in all the places you visited, they failed to savor the experience and genuinely feel the breathtaking views of every attraction. That’s when you’ll realize that looking at your pictures won’t give you the same feeling as being at the exact moment you were at the destination.
To practice mindfulness, it’s recommended that you slow down your pace, put down your camera, and appreciate the breathtaking views with your very own eyes. When planning your travel itinerary, allow a little time schedule for you to sit down and enjoy the activity. If you’ve tried doing the 28 at Home Fitness Challenge, it highlights the importance of mindfulness even during your workouts as it boosts your concentration and improves your sense of wellbeing.
You can also apply this during your eating escapades. When you eat, try not to rush your meals. Instead, let your taste buds savor every flavor while you observe the locals eating, talking, and sitting around you.
- Put Your Phone Away
Cellphones are useful for traveling. You can use them to ask for directions, translate languages, or take pictures. But as much as they’re handy during travels, your cellphones can also be one of the greatest barriers to enjoying the moment. While you’re on your way to your next destination, instead of enjoying the view from the car window, some people would opt to spend their time scrolling on social media, texting their friends, or, worst, checking through their work emails.
If you want to be more present during your vacation, it’s best to completely put your phone aside or set it on airplane mode. Your social media accounts, friends, and work emails can wait. Let yourself enjoy the moment and connect with the real people around you instead of the ones you see on the screen.
- Experience First
If you’re on an adventure that involves trying exhilarating activities, some people’s first instinct is to pull out their cameras and take pictures before they’d seen or tried what they were taking a shot for. Taking pictures is great and it’s naturally part of your vacation. But to be a more mindful traveler, challenge yourself to do things the other way around.
Instead of taking pictures right away, let yourself experience the activity first and soak up every tiny detail. Once you’ve fully enjoyed the entire adventure or activities, that’s when you can take out your cameras and do the documentation.
- Upload Pictures Later
Sometimes, the excitement from traveling can get the best of you. After taking some fantastic pictures from the attractions and activities you’ve tried, some of you may feel the urge to upload and show off those pictures right away. And so, you tend to pull out your phone and spend the rest of the day editing the images and thinking of captions that would fit every picture – not to mention; you can get distracted by the comments rapidly appearing on your uploaded photos.
All these things you do before and after uploading the pictures will take you out of the moment, which is opposed to practicing mindfulness. As much as possible, resist the urge to upload pictures immediately. You can save it until the end of the day when you’re finally nestled in your hotel. Better yet, you can also upload those pictures once you’re finally back at home.
- Keep A Journal
Another way to practice mindfulness during your vacations is by keeping a journal. Some travelers find comfort with writing in their journals as it helps them stay in tune with the surroundings, events, and emotions they’re feeling in a more meaningful way. So, when packing up for your travels, you may bring a small notebook with you and fill it with notes about your favorite travel experiences. Do this every night before going to bed.
- Take Time To Meditate
You can do meditation anytime and anywhere, so why not practice it while you’re on your vacation? Before you step out of your hotel room and dive into your travel itinerary, it’s best to practice a few minutes of meditation first. This will help you get rid of stress, increase your concentration, and put you in the present moment.
Final Thoughts
Practicing mindfulness while traveling will help you open up all your senses and utilize them to savor every vacation you take. So, let these tips guide you towards becoming a mindful traveler and enrich your travel experiences.
