I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to live out on the road, away from home, away from family and friends. I’ve stared up at the ceiling at 3:00 AM and willed the clock to move. Only to have it sneer back at me and refuse to let the morning come. I’ve been where you are at and I know the loneliness and despair that can creep up on you when you are on the road. It’s the primary reason I built this site; to encourage you and help you flourish

Goals

Look below to gain a better understanding of goals and how to accomplish them.  Purpose overcomes despair every time.  Having goals helps define purpose.

Food

“Just one?”  If I hear one more hostest or waitress ask that question… YES, I’M ALL ALONE!  Or how about when you have decided to eat healthy, only to order the mozzarella sticks and  the deep fried prawns.  Look below to find out what’s best to eat while you are traveling.

Health

You are away from your normal routine.  Maybe you flew all day or spent the last 9 hours in a car reaching your hotel.  How can you work out and stay healthy?  Look below to find out.

An old proverb states “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

It’s more than something to consider. You know yourself, when you feel like there is no purpose in your life, you don’t do well. Here are three steps to setting goals:

  1. Make it manageable.  I used to set so many goals for when I traveled that I became overwhelmed.  There was no way I was going to be that disciplined when out of my normal environment with all the stress of travel.  I usually ended up accomplishing none of them and feeling like a failure.  Keep the goals while traveling manageable.
  2. Put it in writing.  I know, I know.  It may not seem like much, but believe me, if you write it down, it is much more tangible than trying to keep it in your head.
  3. Print a picture of it.  Science shows that we are stimulated when we see a picture of a goal we are trying to achieve.  Each time you lay eyes on it, your brain gets a little shot of hormones that make it feel good. This causes you to desire and pursue that goal even more.
Click here for an a deep dive on goals.
I very much enjoy food and when I’m out on the road it’s easy to think “Hey you’re away from home, you don’t need to add the stress of disciplined eating, just get some comfort food and call it good.” More nights than I care to admit to, I’ve laid awake with an overly full belly or just been plain sick to my stomach because of the rich foods I stuffed myself with. Click here to find the best things to eat when in a restaurant.
Sometimes I just can’t stomach one more restaurant meal and I need some “real” food. I’ll go to a grocery store and get some things to take back to the hotel room. Here are a list of immune boosting foods you can partake of while out on the road.

Citrus fruits

  • grapefruit
  • oranges
  • tangerines
  • lemons
  • limes
  • clementines

Red bell peppers

Broccoli (Yeah, I hate it too.)

Garlic

Ginger

Spinach

Yogurt

Almonds

Poultry

Sunflower seeds

Finally, blue berries, acai berries and pomagranates.  I did a job for a heart surgeon once and he swore by pomagranates; ate them by the gross.  If you don’t want to take the time to pick the thing apart and eat the seeds, get some Pom juice from the store and strengthen your heart today!

Spend 20 minutes working out prior to getting into bed. I know this can seem like a pain and who has energy to work out after spending all day traveling? But doing this will go a long way towards a good night sleep.Click here to find a free 20 minute workout plan.
Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake. I forgot that some iced teas have caffeine and drank 3 or 4 Arnold Palmers at about 9:00 PM with dinner. Finally, around 4:00 AM, I was able to get my body to sleep. Keep the caffeine consumption to a minimum and make sure you know what time to stop so that your body can relax. Also, alcohol; it’s not a good sleep aid. Personal experience as well as medical data shows that while it can make you drowsy, it actually disrupts your ability to get a good nights rest.
Limit screen time. I know these can seem like a bunch of do’s and don’ts, but if you put them into practice, your body and brain will thank you the next morning. I’ve had to discipline myself not to watch TV, constantly flipping through 400 channels while on the road until 2:00 AM. I can’t tell you the despair when you look over at the clock and realize your next appointment is less than 5 hours away and you haven’t even slept yet. Studies show that the illumination from the screens we stare at for hours actually stimulate our brains to stay awake and make it harder to relax and go to sleep. If you have to be on before going to bed, try setting your screen to the softer night mode and see what you think.
Water. In a word, it keeps the body running like it is should. All systems go when you are hydrated. During flying, there is an actual radioactive experience taking place. You can read about it here.

Some people may dispute the science behind the radiation. What isn’t debatable is the fact traveling by plane can result in dehydration if you aren’t careful. 5 hours stuck on a flight, with maybe 2 cans of soda from the in-flight beverage service doesn’t cut it. Set a goal of drinking 2 liters a day and you’ll be on your way to staying hydrated. You may need to time the consumption of this as I’ve been on a plane, having drank a liter of water, only to have to remain seated due to turbulence. With the prolonged wait and the air pressure, I thought my bladder was going to explode for sure!

When you get to your hotel, drink water with dinner and have a bottle of it by the bedside. I challenge you to drink a liter upon waking up while going about your daily prep. By the time you hit breakfast or your first coffee, you will be well on your way towards your two liter goal.