I am a huge advocate for listening to what your body needs especially during a time as hectic as this one. Our bodies are amazing and do so much for us everyday. When you mix that with a completely new diet, a full courseload, and traveling every weekend on limited sleep, your body starts to break down! No one prepares you for the exhaustion that accompanies the “go go go” lifestyle abroad. You get so caught up in all the excitement you forget to let yourself rest! These past few weeks I have felt so extremely exhausted, which is very unlike me. There is this invisible “pressure” that stays with you when you feel tired abroad. It’s a guilty feeling because you feel like you should be appreciating the place you’re in and making the most of your time there. And while that is true for majority of the time, it is so important to give your body the rest it needs to keep up with the chaos of abroad. To ensure fullfillment abroad, I love to give myself something to look forward to every day, and in the meantime, taking the other parts of my day to catch up on homework, journaling, sleep or even just scroll on Instagram. Whether its getting a coffee at my favorite cafe, going on a walk, or having dinner with friends, having something to look forward to everyday makes the rest time feel a lot more valuable. There is no rule that says taking a rest day can’t still be intentional. Be intentional with how you spend your rest time is so important! Journaliing, homework or posting on Instagram is still productive, just in different ways!
The weekends can be so busy and usually there is little sleep involved in weekend travel. This past weekend I was in London and this upcoming weekend we’re going to Switzerland! It’s a quick turnaround, but I’ve taken this week to prioritize rest and catching up on all the things I’ve fallen behind on. Like I said, this past weekend I was in London meeting my best friend from USC. This trip was the biggest breathe of fresh air because it was with someone who is super go with the flow and intentional about their days. Not only is it important to give yourself that, it is important to surround yourself and travel with those who share the sameideas about rest and relaxation. This makes traveling so much less stressful and not make it so hard to recover after a fun weekend! You’ll find out pretty quickly the people you like to travel with!
In the big scheme of things, its important to live in the moment and take advantage of where you are, however it is also important to give your body the rest it needs to support such a crazy fast paced lifestyle! Listen to your body now more than ever, it’s doing so much for you :)
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