6 Tips to Managing Sickness while Traveling Or, How to Not Be Sneezy Dwarf!
Traveling for work is stressful enough, with its time away from family and friends, constant wining and dining, time zones, hotel rooms and another multi-course dinner.
But there’s nothing WORSE than getting sick on top of all of that.
It’s that my-body’s-wearing-down feeling that comes over you sometime after the fourth flight and the fifth hotel room in six days. So when all you are craving is the comforts of your own bed, and a break, here are six tips to help you manage your malady while away.
1. Pre-pack go-to medicine.
Being prepared is the best plan when being away from home. A small travel collection of pain relief, sleep aids and vitamins can help. I swear by Banyan Botanicals “I Travel Well” – a tincture that helps the body adapt to the overall stresses of travel including changing time zones.
If you need a pharmacy in a foreign country, ask your host or a trusted local to accompany you. They can help with language translation and understanding the local remedies that may be offered to you.
2. Be honest!
With yourself and your hosts. Your body will give you signals of pending illness a long time before your mind may want to recognize them. Listen. Also be honest with your host. It helps to manage expectations about why you may not be as bright as normal, how you can take some time for small moments of rest, or whether you can reschedule or juggle that non-business critical appointment.
3. Keep it clean.
In the early stages of getting sick your immune system is already compromised, so washing your hands and keeping your Sneezy Dwarf to yourself is important. Also keep foods clean and light – switch out the steak main course for a lighter protein and steamed vegetables, or even better, a broth-based soup.
4. Have someone else taste.
Your senses may be dulled when you’re ill, which may also affect your ability to smell and taste. So ask for a second opinion to be sure that you are not missing something. There’s no shortage of wine opinions in our business!
5. Stay hydrated.
Minimize your wine intake and drink as much water as you can to help your body flush its own system. The scotch hot toddy may sound appealing to help clear things out, but your body may actually be calling for hot water with a ton of lemon and honey. Again, listen. And keep listening.
6. Rest and sleep whenever possible.
Reorganize your schedule to sleep and rest whenever possible (see Point 2). The body is incredibly resilient, but it’s much easier to top off half a tank of energy than refill a completely empty one, so ask for that extra quiet hotel room, leave the dinner after the business is done, and rest. Your body will thank you for it.
Staying well while managing the stresses of travel is a challenge, but small steps can help keep you level. Besides, collapsing in a heap when you get home to family and friends is no fun for anyone either, so catch it early and look after yourself.
Namaste,
Beck
What We’re Reading:
There's no shortage of wine stories and media inundating our IN Boxes. Here's what has piqued our interest this week.
Catching a Cold Can Mean Hours of Lost Productivity - Here's How To Prevent That - Cathy Huyghe for Inc.com
“It's not just about getting back to work. It's about responding thoughtfully to the symptoms.”
Why you’re likely going to hear more about being “sober curious” – Vox.com
“Sober curiosity may be one of the most accessible paradigms to come form the wellness movement.”
Getting to Know Piquette – A Wine Adjacent Spritzer – Lenn Thompson for SevenFiftyDaily.com
Call it acquarello, acqua pazza, lora, or vinello, Piquette is starting to find favor as a great drink with lower ABV.
Meet the Tribe!
Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Jayne Portnoy, Founder + Brand Mechanic, JP Consulting (USA)
Years In Industry:
My love affair with the hospitality industry began at the age of 19, when I realized this was a career path that tipped in cash! It was years later, in a transition from Director of Marketing for the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a similar post at Outback Steakhouse (part of Bloomin’ Brands) that set the tempo for the next two-plus decades. In 2016 I opened JP Consulting with a commitment to providing hospitality and beverage concepts with strategic direction and growth for brands and their people.
My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
Equilibrium. Finding balance is such a high hurdle, that I tattooed the symbol ( ⇌) on my wrist as a reminder four years ago. For many years, my approach to health was Anthony Bourdain style - treating my body like an amusement park where late nights, indulgent dinners, frequent imbibing was all part of the gig. My solution was offset the intake with in doubles of Soul Cycle or long hours at the gym thinking one bad habit calibrated the other.
It wasn’t really until I found yoga and then began teaching that my focus shifted. It felt fraudulent to be teaching a practice that I wasn’t actually practicing. Everything about this yoga is rooted in balance and I had none. After two rounds of pneumonia in the same year, I knew it was time to find a better way.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
Each New Year in lieu of resolutions, I add one healthy/ier practice to my routine. 2019 was the year I finally added vitamins (I hate taking pills) and a daily shot of Frankincense and Apple Cider vinegar to my mornings. I also believe in visual commitments, and keep a calendar in my kitchen to map out the workouts I plan to take in advance. I rather get myself out of bed, on a mat or to the gym than have to write “lazy” over the days I committed to – and this works for me.
My yoga practice has really played a vital role in wellness on the road, as all I really need is 30 minutes and a floor. When I cannot make time to move my body - I commit to meditation, journaling and lots of water.
You can connect with Jayne on Instagram, Facebook or via her website www.jpcla.com
Let’s Meet Up!
As work life has it, we are traveling over the next few months and would love to see you.
Hosts of "Fermati e Respira" at Vinitaly in Verona, April 7 – 10 (Rebecca and Cathy)
Judge at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Competition in Aigle, Switzerland, May 2 to 5 (Cathy)
Presenter at Bâtonnage Forum, in Napa, May 4 (Rebecca)
Presenter at the London Wine Fair, May 20 to 22 (Cathy)
Presenter at the CDO Executive Summit, in Atlanta June 26 (Cathy)
Attendee at Fine Minds 4 Fine Wines in Bordeaux, July 4 to 6 (Cathy)
Drop a line to rebecca@abalancedglass.com or cathy@enolytics.com if you are interested in getting together for practice, a chat or a great glass together.
