Well-being on the go

By Marzena Jarczak September 12, 2022 9 min read

Being a creature of habits is one of the best things that can happen to you if you pick the right ones. And if you will stick to them no matter what. How not to have a self-care time off during time off?

My well-being base

I wake up. Stay in bed for a few minutes to tune in to positive thoughts. I kiss my boyfriend. Go to the bathroom to dry brush, take a very cold shower, do my favorite skincare ritual and give myself a short face massage. This is it, 20 minutes of my morning non-negotiables. Some might say I’m lucky to have so much time just for myself. I agree. Some might say I must be really motivated to get up 20 minutes earlier than necessary even if my wake up call is in the middle of the night. I also agree. But to be honest, I really don’t care that much about other people’s opining about my self-care routine. It’s my little sacred space that I’ve learned to transfer (or at least some parts of it) to airport bathrooms, hotel room floors and my family house. And the only information I let in is the one that makes my self-care routine even better. Yes, I’m very strict with protecting the source of my life satisfaction.

Benefits of self-care

It’s not just about looking or feeling better here and now, although I admit I like these results, too. The core effect of self-care is this comforting, long-lasting, sweet feeling of increased life satisfaction. Engaging in a regular self-care routine has been clinically proven to:

Help support treatment and recovery from a mental illness¹
Build self-esteem²
Manage stress³
Improve the sense of well-being⁴
Increase levels of life satisfaction⁵
Improve sleep⁶
Improve concentration⁷
Increase energy levels⁸
Help overcome addictions and eating disorders⁹

There isn’t one definition of what self-care should look like but it should be a reflection of self-love, self-respect and self-compassion^10. It could include:

Following your favorite skincare ritual
Implementing grounding techniques to a daily routine
Spending some time alone
Going to therapy
Changing profession
Ending toxic relationships
Feeding yourself with nourishing foods
Spending more time in nature
Giving your body and mind time to reset
Learning new skill
Overcoming fears

Whatever it means to you, cherish, practice and protect it. And hold on to it tight during your time off.

Well- being on the go

Being away from home is the time you might need your grounding self-care routine the most. New places to visit, new people to meet, new beds to sleep in, new routines to follow – all of this could be equally exciting and destabilizing.¹¹ That’s why letting go of your relaxing, soothing, comforting well-being rituals might cast a shade on your long-awaited sunny vacation. The list of potential consequences of neglected self-care is long:¹² decreased energy, loss of life satisfaction, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, less patience and motivation, difficulty falling and staying asleep to name a few. To avoid them, you can stick to your modified yet effective well-being routine on the go. Here’s how:

Reframe your thinking If you want your self-care to work long-term, it has to be practiced no matter where, no matter what. Psychological aspect of taking care of myself was always the most difficult to me. I love having some me-time but to postpone it is just sooo easy, especially if there is a more appropriate (meaning: non self-focused) priority in sight. I used to skip my morning routine during summer holidays because I didn’t want to be late for breakfast (guess what, I was usually ending up waiting for others) and as a result stayed grumpy and far from relaxed most of the time. According to Dr. Mark Hyman¹³ the emotional health impacts the physical health, and only by giving yourself time just for yourself you can fully profit from holiday relaxation.

Focus on your base You might not have the time, the will or the space for incorporating your full self-care routine to your holiday schedule but remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Focus on what makes you feel good the most and stick to it, even if you’d have to simplify it to a mindful skincare ritual. When it comes to self-care efficiency, even the smallest everyday routines have a bigger impact on your overall well-being than occasional full-on efforts.¹⁴ Remember my 20 minutes of non-negotiables? They really set me up for the most unpredictable (in a good and a bad way) summer adventures.

Stay in touch with your body There is a great difference between pushing and forcing. Staying active during holidays is great but only if your body has the energy to do it. Time off should be for recharging and if your body is giving you clear signals of having no fuel left (with symptoms including insomnia, sore muscles, trouble staying focused, moodiness, slowed reflexes and responses or headaches¹⁵), don’t force yourself. Sleep is one of the most restorative, neurobiology – approved well-being tools out there¹⁶, use it often and wisely.

Stay in touch with your mind The only space you need to do an emotional check- up is the one you have in you. Whether by meditating, journaling or simply taking some time off to reflect on your day, remember to pay attention on how you feel and what you think. The abundance of holiday stimulus can be overwhelming and the best way to balance it out is to simply let go of everything but yourself. According to a 2018 study¹⁷, meditating for as little 13 minutes a day for eight weeks leads to decreased negative mood and anxiety state and enhanced attention even in non-experienced meditators. You can have you 13 minutes during a car drive, waiting for boarding at the airport or standing in a long line for ice- cream. I’ve checked all these options (the ice-cream one several times) and they work wonders for instant grounding.

Accessorize Travel-size yoga mat, face massage tool, mini acupressure mat, Konjac sponge¹⁸ making your skincare ritual even more effective in a few seconds- whatever fits into your travel bag, take it! After years of traveling around the world and working as a model I realized that the first thing I pack when going on even the shortest trip is my yoga mat. It became my ultimate motivator to do something good for myself no matter where I land and a portable piece of home far away from home. Well-being on the go is way easier when you have your proven tools at hand.

Use the power of smell The most sufficient science- based evidence of aromatherapy efficacy is the one related with its benefits for stress release¹⁹. Isn’t it what we all need during summer vacation? I know, burning a scented candle in a hotel can be tricky due to fire sensors but hey, you can incorporate aromatherapy in other, firefighters- approved ways. Our favorite? Of course skincare ritual with products enriched with pure essential oils! Bergamot fruit oil, one of the ingredients of LAST Skin Repair Serum, is clinically proven to relieve mood disorders by signaling the brain to release dopamine and serotonin, dissipate anxiety and nervous tension and improve well-being.²⁰

Don’t stress over it Putting too much pressure on yourself about feeling grounded, relaxed and zen can result in increased feeling of anxiousness, especially if you’re not used to slowing down.²¹ When going on vacation, keep your perfectionism uninvited for the sake of your life satisfaction. The excessively high personal standards combined with spending time in a new and unpredictable environment can make you set unrealistic expectations of yourself and lead to negative self-evaluation.²² One of the ways of overcoming perfectionism is adjusting the standards.²³ Think of your vacation self-care as a tool that can simply contribute something useful to your well-being here and now, not as an ultimate flawless performance.

I like to think about my self-care routine as a bonus from myself, for myself. I start my day you know how and then try to squeeze in a bit more, if possible. For example, right now I’m giving my skin an extra vitamins kick from a face mask. It’s time to wash it off but before I go, I want to wish you all a beautiful, relaxing summer.

Marzena Jarczak

An international model based in Paris. A researcher, copy writer and a journalist exploring for us the areas of neuroscience, brain, biohacking, living healthy life. Author of Out & About series discovering cultural life in Paris in all its aspects. A strong, wise personality with a growth mindset.

Caring for Your Mental Health; The National Institute of Mental Health;April 2021
Association between self-care behaviors and self-esteem of rural elderlies; Necessity of health promotion; The National Institute of Mental Health;Masoumeh Bagheri-Nesami, Amir Hossein Goudarzian, Hesam Mirani, Sina Sabourian Jouybari and Davoud Nasiri; 2016 Feb; 28(1): 41–45.
Stress Tips: Calm Your Mind, Heal Your Body; dr. Mark Hyman,
5 steps to mental wellbeing; NHS, November 2019
The effect of self-care self-efficacy program on life satisfaction of the Iranian elderly; Mahnaz Shafiei Alavijeh, Zahra Zandiyeh and Mahin Moeini; J Educ Health Promot. 2021; 10(1): 167.
Sleep Scientist Warns Against Walking Through Life ‘In An Underslept State; Berkeley Psychology, University of California
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Sleep is your superpower; Matt Walker, TEDTalks 2019
Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators; Julia C Basso, Alexandra McHale, Victoria Ende, Douglas J Oberlin, Wendy A Suzuki; Behav Brain Res; 2019 Jan 1;356:208-220. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023. Epub 2018 Aug 25
LAST Skincare Konjac Sponge
Do Essential Oils Work? Here’s What Science Says; Sabrina Stierwalt; Scientific American; March 2020
Ingredients; Improvement of well-being; LAST Skincare
5 Reasons Your Brain (and You) Can’t Relax; Amen Clinics; August 2021
How perfectionism affects our overall health; Anna Sandoiu; Medical News Today; October 2018
How to Manage Your Perfectionism; Rebecca Knight; Harvard Business Review; April 2019

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Marzena Jarczak

An international model based in Paris. A researcher, copy writer and a journalist exploring for us the areas of neuroscience, brain, biohacking, living healthy life. Author of Out & About series discovering cultural life in Paris in all its aspects. A strong, wise personality with a growth mindset.