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Ever feel like that dream vacation left you more drained than refreshed? You're not alone. Traveling, while exciting, can often lead to unexpected mental fatigue. Explore this feeling with us as we delve into why "Traveling causes mental fatigue" and, more importantly, how to navigate the unique stresses of being away from home. Let's uncover practical strategies to reclaim your peace of mind and truly enjoy your journey.

Travel's Mental Fatigue: Coping with the Stress of Competing Away from Home

Understanding Travel-Induced Mental Fatigue in Athletes

The Unique Mental Demands of Traveling for Competition

Traveling for athletic competition imposes a distinct set of mental demands that go far beyond the physical rigors of training and performance. Athletes must navigate unfamiliar environments, adapt to different time zones, and often face the pressure of competing without the comfort of their usual routines and support networks. This constant state of adaptation and uncertainty requires significant cognitive resources, leading to a unique form of mental exhaustion. Unlike training fatigue, which is often tied to physical exertion, the mental toll of travel involves managing logistics, dealing with delays, adjusting sleep schedules, and maintaining focus amidst disruption.

This complex interplay of factors places a heavy burden on an athlete's mental resilience. For instance, a basketball team traveling across several time zones might have players struggling to adjust their internal clocks, impacting decision-making speed and concentration during critical game moments. Swimmers competing internationally face similar challenges, needing to perform at peak levels after long flights and disrupted sleep patterns. The mental energy expended simply managing the travel experience can deplete the reserves needed for strategic thinking, emotional regulation, and maintaining competitive intensity. This is a key reason why traveling causes mental fatigue, impacting readiness and performance potential.

Why Traveling Causes Mental Fatigue: Exploring the Root Causes

The root causes of why traveling causes mental fatigue are multifaceted, stemming from both physiological disruptions and psychological stressors inherent in being away from home. Physiologically, the most significant factors include circadian rhythm disruption due to time zone changes (jet lag) and fragmented or insufficient sleep in unfamiliar accommodations. These biological disturbances directly impact cognitive function, mood regulation, and overall energy levels. A study by the NCAA in 2018 highlighted that student-athletes frequently reported sleep disruption as a major challenge associated with travel, directly linking it to feelings of fatigue.

Psychologically, the constant state of flux contributes significantly to mental exhaustion. Athletes are removed from their established routines – familiar training facilities, consistent meal times, and the presence of their usual support systems (family, friends, sometimes even specific therapists or trainers). The stress of navigating new cities, managing transportation, and adapting to different cultures or environments adds a layer of cognitive load.

Furthermore, the pressure to perform well in an unfamiliar setting, often with higher stakes in away games or international competitions, amplifies anxiety. This persistent low-grade stress, coupled with physiological disruption, explains the profound mental fatigue from traveling that many athletes experience.

Defining Travel Fatigue: Beyond Physical Exhaustion

Defining travel fatigue requires differentiating it from mere physical tiredness, though the two are often intertwined. While physical exhaustion relates to depletion of muscular and cardiovascular capacity, travel fatigue encompasses a broader state of depletion affecting cognitive, emotional, and physiological systems specifically triggered by the act of traveling. It's not just about tired legs after a long flight; it's about a tired mind.

Mental fatigue from traveling manifests as reduced alertness, impaired concentration, slower reaction times, increased irritability, and difficulty making decisions. Athletes might describe feeling "foggy" or "off" mentally, even if their bodies feel ready to perform. This state results from the cumulative stress of disrupted sleep, circadian misalignment, constant environmental adaptation, and the psychological burden of being away. Understanding this distinction is crucial because addressing travel mental fatigue requires different strategies than recovering from physical exertion. It demands attention to cognitive recovery, emotional well-being, and re-establishing mental equilibrium, not just physical rest.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Mental Fatigue from Traveling

Identifying Early Warning Signs of Travel-Related Mental Stress

Recognizing the early warning signs of travel-related mental stress is crucial for intervention before it significantly impacts performance or well-being. These signs often appear subtly but can escalate if ignored. Athletes might notice increased difficulty focusing during team meetings or practice sessions shortly after arriving at a new location. They might feel unusually irritable or short-tempered with teammates or coaches over minor issues. Subtle changes in sleep patterns, such as taking longer to fall asleep or waking up frequently, even if they eventually get some rest, can be early indicators.

Other warning signs include a lack of motivation for activities they usually enjoy, feeling overwhelmed by simple tasks like packing or navigating the hotel, or experiencing a general sense of unease or anxiety about the upcoming competition. Some athletes might withdraw socially, preferring to stay in their room rather than engage with the team. These early signals point towards the mental toll traveling is taking, indicating that the athlete's cognitive and emotional resources are becoming depleted. Paying attention to these subtle shifts allows for proactive coping strategies to be implemented.

Psychological Symptoms: Anxiety, Irritability, and Difficulty Focusing

The psychological symptoms of mental fatigue from traveling are often the most noticeable and impactful on performance and team dynamics. Anxiety is a common symptom, manifesting as excessive worry about the competition, fear of not performing well due to travel effects, or general unease in the unfamiliar environment. This heightened state of alert can be mentally draining. Irritability is another frequent sign; athletes might find themselves easily frustrated, snapping at others, or having a shorter fuse than usual. This stems from reduced emotional regulation capacity when mentally fatigued.

Perhaps most detrimental to performance is difficulty focusing and impaired concentration. Athletes experiencing mental fatigue might struggle to pay attention during strategic briefings, make uncharacteristic errors during practice, or find their minds wandering during competition. Decision-making can become slower or less effective. For example, a quarterback might miss reading a defensive play, or a gymnast might lose concentration during a critical routine. These cognitive deficits directly link the mental toll of travel to performance decline, highlighting why traveling causes mental fatigue that needs serious consideration.

Physical Symptoms: Sleep Disturbances and Reduced Energy Levels

While mental fatigue is distinct from physical exhaustion, it often manifests with significant physical symptoms, primarily sleep disturbances and reduced energy levels. Jet lag is a prime culprit, disrupting the body's natural sleep-wake cycle and making it difficult to fall asleep at the appropriate local time or stay asleep throughout the night. This can lead to chronic sleep deprivation over the course of a trip. Studies on transatlantic travel in athletes have shown sleep onset latency increasing and total sleep time decreasing significantly in the first few nights away from home.

Beyond sleep issues, athletes often report a pervasive feeling of low energy or lethargy that isn't necessarily tied to recent physical exertion. This reduced vitality is a hallmark of mental fatigue, as the constant effort to adapt and cope drains overall resources. Other physical symptoms can include headaches, digestive issues, changes in appetite, and increased muscle tension. These physical manifestations serve as crucial indicators that the mental burden of travel is impacting the athlete's overall physiological state and contribute to the overall picture of travel-induced fatigue.

The Impact of Frequent Travel on Athlete Mental Well-being

Increased Stress and Anxiety Levels Associated with Travel

Frequent travel inherently leads to increased stress and anxiety levels for athletes. The cumulative effect of constant disruption, performance pressure in varied environments, and time away from home creates a state of chronic stress. Each trip involves navigating logistics, adapting to new beds and food, and dealing with the uncertainty of travel itself (delays, cancellations). This constant low-level stress keeps the body and mind in a heightened state of alert, leading to elevated cortisol levels over time.

This chronic stress can significantly impact mental well-being. A survey of professional athletes found that those with heavy travel schedules reported higher rates of anxiety and difficulty managing stress compared to those with less travel. The anticipation of travel itself can become a source of anxiety, adding to the burden even before the journey begins. This cycle of stress and anxiety makes it clear how traveling causes mental fatigue that can wear down an athlete's psychological resilience over a season or career.

Disruption of Routine and Its Effects on Mental Health

One of the most significant impacts of frequent travel is the profound disruption of routine, which is foundational for athlete mental health and performance. Athletes thrive on structure: consistent sleep schedules, regular meal times, predictable training environments, and established recovery protocols. Travel shatters this predictability. Training times might change drastically, access to preferred recovery facilities might be limited, and meal options can be inconsistent.

This loss of control and predictability is a major stressor. It can lead to feelings of disorientation, frustration, and anxiety. For athletes who rely on routine for a sense of stability and control, its disruption can trigger stress responses and make it harder to maintain healthy habits. For instance, an athlete used to meditating for 30 minutes every morning might find this impossible in a cramped hotel room with a teammate. The inability to stick to these established, mentally beneficial practices contributes directly to the mental fatigue experienced when traveling.

The Connection Between Travel Fatigue and Performance Decline

The connection between travel fatigue and performance decline is well-documented, illustrating why traveling causes mental fatigue that is detrimental to athletic success. Mental fatigue impairs critical cognitive functions necessary for peak performance: reaction time, decision-making, tactical awareness, and emotional regulation. An athlete who is mentally drained from travel is more likely to make errors, miss opportunities, or struggle to maintain composure under pressure.

Research across various sports, from team sports requiring quick decisions to individual sports demanding precise execution, shows a correlation between travel distance/frequency and decreased performance metrics, such as shooting percentage in basketball or error rates in tennis. For example, studies on Major League Baseball teams have indicated that teams traveling across multiple time zones often perform worse in the initial games of a road trip compared to home games or games with minimal travel. This performance dip is not solely physical; it is significantly influenced by the cognitive and emotional toll – the mental fatigue – that travel imposes.

Strategies for Coping with Travel-Related Mental Fatigue

Pre-Travel Preparation: Minimizing Stress Before You Go

Planning and Organization: Reducing Travel-Related Anxiety

Effective planning and organization before a trip are fundamental steps in minimizing the mental fatigue associated with travel. Having a clear itinerary, packing strategically, and confirming all travel details in advance can significantly reduce pre-trip anxiety. This includes checking flight times, understanding transportation options at the destination, and ensuring accommodation details are correct. Creating a detailed packing list ensures essential items, like specific recovery tools or comfort items, aren't forgotten, preventing last-minute stress.

Furthermore, planning for potential disruptions, such as packing a change of clothes in a carry-on or having digital copies of important documents, can provide peace of mind. Communicating the travel schedule and expectations clearly within the team and with personal support systems also helps manage anticipation and reduce uncertainty. Taking control of controllable aspects of the trip beforehand empowers the athlete and reduces the cognitive load associated with travel logistics, making the journey itself less likely to cause overwhelming mental fatigue.

Establishing a Pre-Travel Mental Checklist

Developing a pre-travel mental checklist is a proactive strategy to prepare the mind for the challenges ahead. This checklist goes beyond packing bags and confirming flights; it focuses on mental and emotional readiness. Items on this list might include visualizing the upcoming trip and competition positively, mentally rehearsing coping strategies for potential stressors (like delays or difficulty sleeping), and setting realistic expectations about the travel experience.

It could also involve ensuring personal affairs at home are in order to minimize worries while away, such as arranging for pet care or bill payments. Taking time for a relaxation or mindfulness session before departure can help start the journey from a calmer state. This deliberate process of mental preparation helps athletes feel more in control and resilient, building a buffer against the mental fatigue that traveling often brings.

During Travel: Managing Stress on the Road

Maintaining a Consistent Routine While Traveling

Maintaining as much consistency in routine as possible while traveling is vital for mitigating mental fatigue. While perfect replication of a home routine is often impossible, prioritizing key elements can provide structure and predictability in an unpredictable environment. This includes trying to stick to consistent sleep and wake times according to the local time zone, eating meals at regular intervals, and scheduling specific times for training, recovery, and relaxation.

For example, if an athlete typically trains in the morning, finding a way to have a similar session at the destination, even if modified, helps maintain a sense of normalcy. Using familiar pre-competition rituals, even in a new location, can also provide comfort and focus. Small acts of routine, like having the same breakfast or listening to a specific playlist at a certain time, can ground the athlete and reduce the feeling of disorientation that contributes to the mental toll of travel.

Utilizing Relaxation Techniques to Combat Travel Anxiety

Actively utilizing relaxation techniques during travel is essential for managing the anxiety and stress that contribute to mental fatigue. Simple techniques like deep breathing exercises can be performed anywhere – on a plane, bus, or in a hotel room – to calm the nervous system. Progressive muscle relaxation can help release physical tension accumulated during travel.

Mindfulness practices, such as focusing on the present moment or engaging in a short meditation, can help quiet a racing mind and reduce rumination about travel stressors or performance worries. Listening to calming music or guided imagery exercises can also provide a mental escape and promote relaxation. Regularly incorporating these techniques throughout the journey helps counteract the cumulative stress and prevents the escalation of mental fatigue from traveling.

The Importance of Sleep Hygiene While Away from Home

Prioritizing excellent sleep hygiene while away from home is arguably one of the most critical strategies for combating travel-induced mental fatigue. Despite the challenges of new beds and time zones, making sleep a priority is non-negotiable for mental and physical recovery. This involves creating a sleep-conducive environment: making the room as dark and quiet as possible, adjusting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature, and using earplugs or an eye mask if needed.

Establishing a consistent bedtime and wake-up routine, even while traveling, helps regulate the body clock. Avoiding screens (phones, tablets) close to bedtime, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, and using relaxation techniques before sleep (like reading or a warm shower) are all crucial components. While challenging, dedicating effort to maximizing sleep quality and quantity directly combats the physiological roots of why traveling causes mental fatigue and is vital for maintaining cognitive function and emotional stability.

Post-Travel Recovery: Rejuvenating Your Mind and Body

Prioritizing Rest and Recovery After Returning Home

The recovery period immediately after returning home is just as important as managing the stress during the trip when addressing travel mental fatigue. Prioritizing rest and allowing adequate time for the body and mind to readjust is essential. This might involve taking a day or two completely off from training, focusing on light activity like walking, or engaging in passive recovery methods like stretching or foam rolling.

Crucially, this period should focus on mental rejuvenation as well. Allowing time to reconnect with loved ones, engage in relaxing hobbies, and simply decompress from the intensity of travel and competition helps reset the nervous system. Rushing back into a full training load or packed schedule immediately after returning home can prevent full recovery and exacerbate existing mental fatigue from traveling.

Re-Establishing a Regular Routine for Optimal Mental Health

Quickly re-establishing a regular routine upon returning home is key to stabilizing mental health and combating lingering travel fatigue. The predictability and structure of a familiar routine help the body and mind resynchronize. This includes returning to consistent sleep and wake times, resuming regular meal schedules, and getting back into the rhythm of usual training, work, or study commitments.

Re-engaging with familiar support systems – coaches, teammates, therapists, family, and friends – also helps reinforce a sense of normalcy and belonging. The process of returning to routine provides a sense of control and reduces the cognitive load associated with constant adaptation, allowing the athlete's mental energy to replenish. This step is vital for fully recovering from the mental toll traveling takes.

Practical Tips for Reducing Mental Strain While Traveling

Optimizing Your Travel Environment for Comfort and Calm

Optimizing the immediate travel environment can significantly reduce mental strain. On planes or buses, choosing a window seat can offer a sense of control and privacy. Using noise-canceling headphones is highly effective in reducing the sensory overload of travel hubs and transport, creating a personal bubble of calm. Comfortable clothing and layers can help regulate body temperature in varying environments.

In hotel rooms, small adjustments can make a big difference. Requesting a room away from elevators or ice machines can minimize noise. Bringing a familiar item, like a favorite pillowcase or a comforting scent, can make the unfamiliar space feel more like home. Controlling the room's temperature and light levels as much as possible creates a more relaxing atmosphere, aiding in sleep and rest crucial for combating mental fatigue from traveling.

Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques for Travel-Related Stress

Incorporating mindfulness and meditation techniques directly into the travel experience can be powerful tools against stress and mental fatigue. Even short, five-minute mindfulness exercises can help athletes stay present and reduce anxiety about the journey or upcoming performance. Focusing on the breath, doing a body scan, or simply mindfully observing one's surroundings without judgment can interrupt stress cycles.

Guided meditations specifically designed for travel or anxiety are readily available and can be listened to during transit or in the hotel room. These practices help train the mind to return to a state of calm amidst chaos, building resilience against the mental toll traveling imposes. Regular practice makes these techniques more effective when stress levels are high.

Nutrition and Hydration Strategies to Combat Travel Fatigue

Maintaining optimal nutrition and hydration is often overlooked but crucial for combating travel fatigue, which encompasses both physical and mental aspects. Dehydration, even mild, can impair cognitive function, increase fatigue, and worsen headaches. Drinking plenty of water throughout the journey is essential. Limiting sugary drinks, excessive caffeine, and alcohol is also important, as these can disrupt sleep and exacerbate anxiety.

Prioritizing nutrient-dense foods helps maintain stable energy levels and supports overall brain function. Packing healthy snacks like nuts, fruits, or protein bars can help avoid relying on processed or unhealthy options often available during travel. Eating regular, balanced meals, even if they are slightly different from home, provides the body and mind with the fuel needed to cope with the demands of travel and competition. Proper fueling supports the body's ability to recover and reduces the physical stressors that contribute to why traveling causes mental fatigue.

The Role of Support Systems in Managing Travel Stress

Building a Strong Support Network for Athletes on the Road

Building and utilizing a strong support network is invaluable for athletes managing the stress of traveling for competition. This network includes coaches, teammates, athletic trainers, sports psychologists, family, and friends. Knowing there are people who understand the unique challenges of being an athlete on the road provides a crucial emotional buffer. Teammates sharing similar experiences can offer empathy and practical tips, fostering a sense of camaraderie that combats feelings of isolation.

Coaches and trainers can adjust schedules and training loads to accommodate travel fatigue and provide access to necessary resources. Family and friends, even from afar, offer emotional support and a connection to home. Cultivating these relationships and actively leaning on this network helps athletes feel less alone in facing the mental toll traveling takes.

Communicating Your Needs to Coaches, Teammates, and Family

Open and honest communication about travel-related stress and mental fatigue is paramount. Athletes should feel empowered to communicate their needs to their support system. This might involve telling a coach they need an extra hour of rest after a long flight, asking a teammate for quiet time in the hotel room, or letting family know they might not be as communicative while traveling due to fatigue.

Clearly articulating symptoms of mental fatigue – such as difficulty concentrating or increased irritability – allows coaches and support staff to provide appropriate understanding and assistance. Hiding these struggles only exacerbates the problem. Proactive communication helps manage expectations and ensures the athlete receives the necessary support to navigate the challenges of being away from home.

Seeking Professional Help: When to Consult a Mental Health Expert

Knowing when to seek professional help is a critical component of managing travel stress and mental fatigue, especially when coping strategies are insufficient. If symptoms of anxiety, persistent low mood, sleep disturbances, or difficulty functioning persist despite implementing coping mechanisms, consulting a mental health expert is advisable. Sports psychologists or counselors specializing in athlete mental health can provide tailored strategies for managing travel stressors, performance anxiety, and the unique pressures of athletic life.

Professional guidance can help athletes develop more effective coping skills, process the emotional challenges of being away from home, and address any underlying mental health issues that travel might exacerbate. Seeking help is a sign of strength and a proactive step towards maintaining long-term well-being and performance resilience in the face of frequent travel.

Preventing Future Travel-Induced Mental Fatigue

Implementing Proactive Strategies for Long-Term Mental Well-being

Preventing future travel-induced mental fatigue involves implementing proactive, long-term strategies focused on overall mental well-being. This isn't just about reacting to stress but building resilience over time. Establishing consistent mental health practices, such as regular mindfulness or meditation, journaling, or engaging in hobbies outside of sport, provides a strong foundation. Prioritizing sleep and nutrition consistently, not just when traveling, also builds physical and mental reserves.

Developing a strong sense of self-awareness regarding personal triggers for stress and fatigue allows athletes to anticipate challenges and prepare accordingly. Working with a sports psychologist on performance anxiety and coping skills can equip athletes with tools they can deploy effectively when traveling. These ongoing practices build resilience, reducing the likelihood that traveling causes mental fatigue to a debilitating degree in the future.

Adjusting Travel Schedules to Minimize Stress and Maximize Recovery

Where possible, adjusting travel schedules can be a powerful preventative measure against mental fatigue. This might involve advocating for travel arrangements that allow for more rest before competition, minimizing the number of connecting flights, or arriving at the destination with sufficient time to adjust to the time zone. For teams, strategic scheduling of away games or international trips to allow for adequate recovery windows is crucial.

For example, arriving two or three days before a major competition across multiple time zones allows athletes' circadian rhythms more time to adjust, mitigating the effects of jet lag on cognitive function. Limiting unnecessary trips or combining multiple events into one trip when feasible can also reduce the cumulative stress of constant travel. While not always within an athlete's control, advocating for or implementing more recovery-focused travel plans directly reduces the intensity of the stressors that make traveling causes mental fatigue.

Developing Personalized Coping Mechanisms for Travel-Related Challenges

Developing personalized coping mechanisms is key to long-term prevention. What works for one athlete might not work for another. Through experience and potentially with the guidance of a mental health professional, athletes can identify the strategies that best help them manage travel stress. This might involve creating a specific pre-sleep routine for hotel rooms, identifying go-to relaxation techniques for moments of anxiety during transit, or finding specific ways to stay connected with loved ones.

This personalized approach acknowledges that the mental toll traveling takes varies from person to person. Some might find comfort in exploring the new city, while others need quiet time alone. Some might benefit most from strict adherence to routine, while others need flexibility. Experimenting with different strategies and refining what works best creates a personalized toolkit that empowers the athlete to proactively manage the mental fatigue associated with being away from home.

Conclusion: Prioritizing Mental Health While Traveling for Optimal Performance

Embracing a Holistic Approach to Athlete Well-being

Addressing the mental fatigue that traveling causes requires embracing a holistic approach to athlete well-being. It recognizes that an athlete is not just a physical body performing a task but a complex individual whose mental and emotional states are intrinsically linked to their physical performance and overall health. This means looking beyond training and nutrition plans to include strategies for managing stress, prioritizing sleep, maintaining social connections, and fostering mental resilience, especially in the face of disruptive factors like travel.

A holistic perspective understands that the demands of competition, particularly when combined with the challenges of being away from home, place significant stress on an athlete's entire system. By valuing mental health alongside physical conditioning, athletes and their support systems can create environments that promote sustainable well-being and optimal performance, recognizing that a healthy mind is foundational to a healthy body and peak athletic achievement.

Travel Mental Fatigue: A Call for Awareness and Support

Travel mental fatigue is a real and significant challenge for athletes, and it represents a call for increased awareness and support within the sports world. It's not simply an inconvenience to be endured, but a factor that can seriously impact an athlete's health, happiness, and ability to perform at their best. Recognizing that traveling causes mental fatigue is the first step towards addressing it effectively.

This awareness needs to extend to athletes themselves, coaches, support staff, and sports organizations. Implementing policies that consider the mental toll of travel when scheduling, providing resources for mental health support on the road, and fostering open conversations about stress and fatigue are crucial. By acknowledging and actively managing the mental challenges of competing away from home, the athletic community can better support the well-being of its athletes, ensuring they can pursue their goals without compromising their mental health.

Final Reflection: The Unseen Weight of Wanderlust

The relentless pursuit of achievement, even in the guise of travel, can leave us feeling profoundly depleted. The thrill of competition, amplified by the unfamiliar surroundings of away games or international tournaments, often masks a deeper toll on mental well-being. This article has explored the often-overlooked mental fatigue that accompanies the seemingly glamorous life of a traveling athlete or competitor, highlighting the importance of recognizing and addressing this hidden burden.

The pressure to perform at peak levels, coupled with the disruption of routine and the challenges of adapting to new environments, creates a unique and often underestimated stressor. This isn't simply about physical exhaustion; it's about the cumulative effect of navigating unfamiliar cultures, managing logistics, and maintaining mental fortitude in the face of constant pressure. The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it, — Henry David Thoreau. This quote resonates deeply, reminding us that the pursuit of success, however rewarding, demands a careful consideration of its cost on our mental health.

You, the reader, are now equipped with a deeper understanding of the mental fatigue associated with travel and competition. Consider how you can proactively manage your own well-being, whether you're a seasoned traveler, a dedicated athlete, or simply someone who appreciates the importance of mental health. Prioritize self-care, build resilience, and remember that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness. Embrace the journey, but never forget to nurture the traveler within.

Rediscover Your Travel Zen: Practical Steps to Manage Competition Stress

Thanks for taking the time to explore the mental challenges of competing away from home! We hope you gained valuable insights into managing travel fatigue and maintaining peak performance. Now, let's put these tips into action.

• Prioritize your pre-competition mental preparation: Create a personalized relaxation routine incorporating mindfulness or visualization techniques. This is key to managing anxiety and optimizing your focus.
• Share your experiences: Discuss your strategies and challenges with fellow athletes or coaches. This can create a supportive community and improve your resilience.
• Try a surprising technique: Experiment with something new, like listening to calming nature sounds or engaging in gentle stretching before a competition to reduce pre-game tension.

Ready to elevate your mental game and conquer competition stress? What's one small step you'll take today to prioritize your mental wellbeing while traveling?