I’m usually not  the kind of person that gets sick often and I can happily say that I fall ill maybe once or twice a year, if at that.

But during my most recent trip to Mexico City, I fell sick twice in a matter of 8 days! Now, that’s a record for me. So, of course, being sick while travelling is no fun. It can be very frustrating but it also forces you to re-evaluate and appreciate a lot of things you once took for granted.

So today, I want to share: 5 lessons I have drawn from being sick while travelling. 

I hope these will not only remind you to cherish the health that you do have, but also help you put things back into perspective, in case you do fall sick.

Without further ado, here are:

5 Lessons I learned being sick While Travelling

1. Thank your body EVERY single day

This can be a bit tricky because we all tend to focus on what we don’t have or what’s missing or what’s not perfect yet. Well, what about celebrating what DOES work every single day? For example: a well functioning digestive system (trust me, I say thank you every day now since I caught this nasty stomach flu 2 days ago – it had me bedridden and feverish for 2 days) !

Take the time daily to truly thank and love your body for all that it does to support your health and every day activities. Focus on what you are able to do thanks to your body daily: walking, writing, reading, breathing, exercising, eating, etc.

 

Don’t wait until you are sick to miss it, start this practice today!

2. When sickness strikes, don’t fight it.

Being sick sucks. Not only does it often involves some discomfort and pain, but it also slows you down and forces you to change all of your plans.
When you are travelling, the last thing you want to do is slow down and stay in bed. Heck, you came to explore, visit, go out, etc.
But instead of fighting the situation, simply accept it. Go with the flow and take this much needed time to slow down, reconnect with yourself truly, and simply relax.
I spent the past 2 days sleeping due to a deep fatigue that I simply could not control.

At first, I was really annoyed as I had plans to explore Coyoacán (where we stayed while I was very sick), but guess what? My body needed the rest, so I simply gave in and stopped resisting. Today, it is day 3 and I feel much much better!

3. Stay hydrated and don’t consume heavy meals

That is another big one. Whenever you catch a stomach virus or any virus for that matter, chances are the sight or even thought of food will totally repulse you. And that is a okay – normal even! Your body is actively working on kicking this virus out. So, you will most likely not be hungry at all.

What I usually do is drink a LOT of water, tea infusions, or simple and freshly made juices or simple soups or broths. To be honest, the first day, all I had was a small yogurt and that was that. I simply wasn’t hungry. Trust your body, listen to it and don’t force food in. Stick to liquids mostly and stay hydrated.

4. You are NOT invincible

Again, this one makes me laugh because well: duh, you know that! Ha.
But really though, how many of us mistreat our bodies with lack of sleep, poor food choices, and bad behaviours, thinking: “oh well, tomorrow I will do better…”.
Your body will only take so much mistreatment before it caves in, weakened and tired.

Tip: take care of yourself every single day: eat well, stay hydrated, move your booty, relax and sleep enough. These are so basics, yet few of us follow these regularly.
Don’t worry, sickness is right around the corner to remind you of the importance of these 5 health pillars :p.

5. Ask for help

This goes without saying… but really, when you fall sick, you will have to rely on people a lot more. For some, this can be difficult or even scary (especially if travelling alone). However, from past experience, I do trust that most people are good at heart. So, don’t be shy and ask for help- may it be at the local pharmacy, or at the local health/herbal store: ask a local, ask the hostel staff or your hosts…. People are usually very kind to sick people and very compassionate.

Luckily for me, I was travelling with my partner this time around and I was very grateful for his help and care at my bed side.

Now that I have my health and vitality back, I plan on maintaining and cherishing it!

What about you? What lessons have YOU drawn from falling sick or ill while travelling or at home?

Stay vibrant,

Sarah.