Healthy Travel Tips from Dr. Katie: Sleep Better, Stress Less, Arrive Restored

Article

Jul 24

We all know the feeling - excitement mixed with exhaustion, anticipation laced with anxiety. Travel is a beautiful privilege, but it can also disrupt our nervous systems, sleep cycles, and digestion in ways that throw off our entire rhythm.

Whether you’re flying across time zones or packing the car for a weekend road trip, the goal is the same: arrive well and return even better.

After a recent yoga + meditation retreat, I noticed something remarkable. My re-entry home felt easy. Grounded. I credit the nourishing food, movement, stillness and novelty of a new country - but I also did something new this trip. After meeting the sound healer Sara Auster, I incorporated a simple ritual from her PAUSE app that made all the difference: a short sound-based meditation called “Before a Flight.”

It’s now a staple in my travel toolkit.

Here are a few travel wellness tips I live by:

1. Honor your nervous system.
Before you even board the plane, give your body a signal of safety. The “Before a Flight” sound meditation practice on the PAUSE app is only a few minutes long, but helps me feel centered before entering the chaos of transit. Regulation of your breathing can make all the difference.

2. Adjust your light exposure.
Jet lag isn’t just about time—it’s about light and stimulation. If it’s daytime when you arrive, get outside in the sunlight as soon as you can to reset your internal clock along with a little caffeine if it’s not late in the day. No sunglasses for the first 15 minutes if you can help it! And try Jet Lag Relief homeopathic remedy. It works! Just 5 pellets under your tongue from three different homeopathics to address jet lag-associated fatigue, achiness and nausea.

3. Stay hydrated - and don’t forget minerals.
Flying dries you out. I always add electrolytes or a pinch of sea salt and lemon to my water to help absorption and keep energy stable. And I pack a piece of fruit to eat on the plane. Trust me, an apple never tastes so good!

4. Don’t forget to stretch and see your physical therapist
Travel makes us incredibly stiff, especially if you’re cramped in an airplane seat for several hours. I’m hypermobile, so sitting long periods can really take a toll on my body. One of my tricks is to stretch in the bathroom. Put the toilet cover down, place your foot on top, and do a few lunges or hamstring stretch.

And make an appointment with your physical therapist for the day after you get home to bring your body in alignment. Dr. Becky at Wellness Insights is the best!

5. Use darkness and meditation to reset sleep.
If you’re arriving at night, keep your light exposure low, wearing sunglasses if needed to block blue light. Take 0.5mg of liposomal melatonin under your tongue about 2 hours before your proposed bedtime if you’re adjusting time zones..

When I’m reading before bed, I use the PAUSE app sound bath called “Drift Off” to help calm my nervous system. Then I choose a sleep sound bath that plays on a loop. A calming sound bath in the evening eases my transition so I can sleep more deeply, even when I’m not at home.