I used to get sick all the time when I traveled, particularly when going to a place with a different climate.
Actually, the only times I’ve gotten sick in recent memory is when I’m on the road or just got back from being away. I wound up with a nasty cold a bunch of Christmases in a row after traveling from California to the northeast to be with family. And because I have allergies and my sinuses can get funky with the altitude of flying, I’ve even wound up getting ear infections a few times when I’m far from home.
Because sick at home is annoying enough, but being sick when you’re out of town exploring a new area, or trying to get some relaxation in and spend quality time with family? It’s no fun my friends!
But the good news is that I haven’t gotten sick during/after travels in about 30 flights. I credit my healthy streak to 4 things I started doing each and every time I hop on a flight.
Feeling in awe of the beauty of Ronda, Spain last fall… and thankfully, I was not at all under the weather!
Since I know I can’t be alone here, I thought that today I’d share the things that I’ve been doing to stay healthy when exposed to tons of germs in a small enclosed areas for hours of end, also known as flying. From a quick hour flight from San Diego to Vegas, to long flights from Los Angeles to Sweden, I believe that these 4 things have helped me to keep my immunity strong on each recent trip.
1.) I drink a green juice and/or eat a big salad. We all know that vegetables and fruits are packed with vitamins and antioxidants that help to keep us strong and healthy, so to me, it’s a no-brainer to load up on them before traveling. I’ll either make sure to drink a green juice the day before or morning of a flight, or if that’s not available to me if I’m already out of town, I’ll eat a veggie-packed meal, like a massive superfood salad. I believe that the immune-enhancing nutrients from my meal give me superpowers in warding off all of the germs that I come in contact with traveling.
2.) I bring anti-viral essential oils with me – and use them often. In general, I like using essential oils to enhance my days and nights. I usually diffuse a bunch of calming oils at nighttime for restful sleep, and when I’m traveling, I bring either a roller bottle or beadlets of anti-viral oils to rub on my wrists/ingest often. It’s a natural way to prevent sickness, and my favorite essential oil product to bring on trips is doTERRA On Guard (not sponsored, I genuinely just love their products!), which is a blend of orange peel, clove bud, cinnamon leaf, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus leaf, and rosemary essential oils.
3.) I take a sinus decongestant. I’ve noticed that because I get flair-ups of allergies and psoriasis inside my ears, it makes me an easy target for sinus issues after flying. A few years ago, I wound up with excruciating Swimmer’s Ear while traveling, and I had to go to urgent care for relief. Ever since then, I bring a decongestant with me in my carry-on, and I take it right before my flight. It works wonders!
Plane snacks
Last year, I neglected to take a decongestant on my last leg of travels to southern Spain because it was a short flight and I thought I’d be fine, but my ear wound up all of a sudden feeling totally clogged. I found a pharmacist, did my best to translate my issue with her in Spanish, and she gave me ear drops that thankfully cleared it up minutes later, but I learned my lesson: No matter how short the flight, my sinuses can still react poorly to the attitude changes, so I take a decongestant before every flight.
Toasting to great health & beautiful sunsets in Marco Island, Florida the end of last year
4.) I sanitize the area surrounding my seat. I am by no means a germaphobe, but while flying, I now wipe down everything surrounding my seat. I don’t think that the planes get cleaned well most of the time, and you just don’t know if the person on the flight before you had a terrible cold and was sneezing all over it, am I right?
I bring a pack of travel wipes with me and as soon as I sit down, I sanitize my seat belt, arm rest, tray table, and anything else that I might touch. Call me crazy, but I’d rather look like a nut about germs than be sick on a trip!
While I have a host of other healthy lifestyle habits that I continue doing while traveling – including getting in workouts on the daily and trying to get enough beauty sleep – these 4 things make up the anti-viral travel routine that’s been working well for me… knock on wood!
Tell me, is there anything in particular that you do to prevent sickness while traveling? Any healthy travel tips to share?
And if you’re looking for more of my travel tips, check out these posts:
Being sick when your traveling really stinks! Great tips Nicole!
You make some excellent points here, Nicole! I’m always afraid I’ll get sick when flying. We just got back from vacation, and fortunately I managed to escape without getting sick. I love the idea of disinfecting your seat. I’ve started disinfecting the grocery carts when I go shopping, but I never thought about airplane seats. I have another trip coming up soon, and I’m totally taking your advice! 🙂
My husband makes fun of me for wiping down the airline seats but hey it works!
Ugh yes being sick while traveling is the WORST! I need to remember these tips for next time I fly …. The last time we flew my husband and I both wound up with the stomach flu. It makes me mad even just thinking about it! haha 🙂