It’s noon as I’m writing this from my window seat on a cross-country flight. I’m armed with snacks as if I were a mom (I’m not) packing for her 3 kids (that I don’t have) who might get hungry and start crying on the plane. Me, crying out of hunger could really be a thing, though, let’s keep it real. I’ve also made myself get plenty of physical activity so I will sit (somewhat) still for the duration of the flight. I treat myself like I’m my own child, apparently, but I’ve learned I have to prepare myself for all that comes with traveling. This also includes preparing my body for the long haul, the potential germs and all the stress of travel.

Now, clearly I didn’t magically arrive to this overly prepared scenario I’m in right now. It took some legit planning and preparation. I packed over the course of the last few days to make sure I was armed with all the necessities to make this as smooth and carefree as possible (read: little to no hangry situations) and also to keep my health a priority. Of course this includes my snacks, but I also like to arm myself with all my supplements, most importantly my travel Bio-K+ probiotic pills to help my immune system stay strong and I like to keep my schedule fairly routine up until leaving for my flights.

Here’s what I’ve done so far this morning:

6:00am – alarm goes off, snooze once. I’m a snoozer sorry not sorry.

6:10 - Meditation using my Headspace app

6:25 – Take 2 Bio-K+*, washed my face, brushed teeth, got dressed and headed to a 7:00 - Pilates class. *Did I need to take 2 Bio-K+’s? No. I am well aware that the 50 billion bacteria will suffice, but I get extra neurotic about staying healthy when I travel, so mentally it makes me feel like I’m extra ready.

8:15 – stop for my favorite green tea

8:30 - Chiropractor appointment

9:15 – Home, showered, ate soft boiled eggs, avocado and gluten-free toast

10:00 – Uber to airport

11:00 – Post security, buy water and hummus

11:20 – board flight

I like routine. What we do on a daily basis matters. Habits are formed, molded, practiced and adapted. With that said, though, if you couldn’t already tell, I travel a lot, which means routine is almost always disrupted and non-routine is actually more routine. The difference is that after getting really good at practicing health habits, I can adapt the habits to many different scenarios. It’s all in the preparation.

I know the things that are important to me, so when I travel, I try to stick to those no matter what kind of disruption to my routine.

Here are a few of the things that are super important to me when traveling/when my routine gets really un-routine:

1. PROBIOTICS! I up my probiotics game in the days/week leading up to a trip. I also like to do the same if I have any major events or shoots coming up. This week I was taking 2 bottles of Bio-K+ per day. I’m a big fan of the Blueberry, fermented rice (vegan!) bottles. Again, this is me being overly cautious. You are exposed to a lot of people (read: a lot of germs) in a lot of places. It’s best to arrive with your strongest defenses ready. I also bring the travel packs of Bio-K+ (capsules) with me in case I can’t get to a place to buy the bottles where I’m going.
2. Move: I have trouble getting on a flight (or a car trip or sitting in a meeting) no matter how short or long without doing some sort of movement beforehand. I prefer to go for a run since in my head it’s the antithesis of sitting on a plane, but I also like doing yoga or Pilates to lengthen my body out before crunching it all up. I try to schedule my flights so that I leave late enough that I can squeeze in some training before heading to the airport.
3. Sleep. I sometimes struggle sleeping the night before a trip or before a big presentation or a big event because I can’t shut my brain off from all the lists of to-dos, but it’s SO important no matter what you are doing.
4. Food. Bring food if you have to. Actually, bring food whether you have to or not. You never know what kind of delays will happen while traveling and where, I like to make sure I always have healthy foods I can eat just in case. And even if you’re just out for a long day of running around, I still like to be prepared.

Routine is helpful, preparation for disruption to your routine is crucial. The more prepared for whatever gets thrown at you during your day or during your trip, the more likely you will be able to keep yourself fueled and ready regardless. May you travel WELL!