Traveling while in Eating Disorder Recovery: How to Survive and Thrive
Written by ‘Ai Pono Hawaii Staff Writer
As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and summer is approaching, you or your family may be planning to travel again. Traveling in eating disorder recovery can be a challenge, though, considering all the uncertainties around eating while traveling.
Read on for:
Things to consider before you go
How to prepare for your days in a new environment
What to do if you run into problems
One of the best parts of eating disorder recovery is the possibility of new experiences and spontaneity. In fact, the idea of travel itself has motivated many people to start recovery. You just have to prepare for these new experiences to preserve all your hard work in recovery.
Before You Go
1. Consider where you are in your recovery.
In some instances, you have to travel. You might need to visit a sick relative, travel for work, or go on a mandatory family vacation. But in other instances, you don't have to travel, and depending on where you are in your recovery, it might be a bad idea to go somewhere new.
For example, if you are a college student just getting out of a treatment program, it might be unwise to study abroad for an entire semester. If you're not totally sure that you will be safe while traveling, ask your treatment team and people you trust what they think about you leaving. Be honest about any behaviors, intruding thoughts, and compulsions.
Related: This is what to do if you are a college student with an eating disorder.
2. Go with someone else, if possible.
Solo travel can be a rewarding experience, but you won't get any of the benefits of travel if you're engaging in eating disorder behaviors. So consider taking someone you trust with you to hold you accountable.
You don't have to tell this person everything that's going on with you. But you're much less likely to engage in behaviors if someone is there to eat with you, talk when you're struggling, and plan engaging activities.
3. Pack for success.
While you're packing, you have an opportunity to help your future self. Don't pack any triggering items if you can. Leave the Fitbit, gym clothes, and any other triggering items at home. Then you won't be tempted to engage in behaviors later.
Also, pack a few things to help you cope with anxiety. This might include a travel drawing kit, journal, coloring book, fidget toys, or anything else from your coping skills toolbox. And finally, make sure to pack snacks for the road. Those first few hours or days of travel are an adjustment. Having something familiar and readily available will help you keep on track with eating regularly.
4. Stay away from gyms.
If you're deciding where to stay, don't choose a hotel, dorm, Airbnb, etc. that has a gym. If someone else is deciding, and you're comfortable sharing with this person, let them know your needs. Ask them not to book a place with a gym. And if you're on an extended stay, try not to look up where any gyms are.
5. Think about the challenges you will face while traveling in eating disorder recovery.
Consider the challenges of managing recovery in an airport and on long flights. Food choices are limited, timing is off, everyone is in a rush, and you might be unable to access food whenever you want.
Now consider the fact that your entire trip may be like this. You have to prepare for these challenges.
Sit down with a notebook and a support person, if possible. Think about your personal challenges (eating consistently, compulsive exercise, trying new foods, etc.) and write down how they might come up during your trip. Then, write down ways you can handle these challenges as they arise.
This may include coping skills, leaning on your support system, and checking in with someone from home (a parent, spouse, clinician, etc.) on a regular basis. If you have a treatment team, come up with a plan together.
If you're ready for it, do exposures to get ready for challenges like trying new foods or ordering food without planning exactly what you will eat beforehand.
Related: Exposure therapy can be a great way to prepare yourself for new foods while traveling.
6. Reduce as much anxiety as possible.
There are some people who can just pack a bag, hop on a train and never look back. However, many people with an eating disorder experience anxiety and engage in behaviors to cope. So reduce as much anxiety as possible before you even leave your house.
As you're getting ready for your trip:
Plan as many activities, reservations, travel accommodations, and mealtimes as possible
Research the area you will be staying in
Look for restaurants and shops in your area that have some safer foods
Create lists to remind you of the items in your bag, appointment times, travel and accommodation information, etc.
Arrive to airports and train stations pretty early so you don't have to rush
7. Create a plan for if things start to go south.
Some people flourish in their recovery when given the freedom to travel the world. For other people, their eating disorder tries to take advantage of the lack of structure and accountability. And while you're traveling, you won't have the same support you do at home. It can be very dangerous to use behaviors, especially over long periods of time. You can backslide in your recovery, end up relapsing, and even risk long-term physical damage.
That's why it's important to have a travel-specific relapse prevention plan in place for if you experience setbacks on the road.
While Traveling in Eating Disorder Recovery
1. Plan your day ahead.
Unstructured time can be a great opportunity to explore, but your eating disorder may also see the time as an opportunity for you to engage in behaviors. So plan your day ahead of time to the extent that you need to.
If you know you might struggle with exercise in the morning, plan to do something at that time as a distraction. If you know you struggle with dinner and evening snack, make a reservation at a restaurant or make plans to go out with someone you're traveling with.
Related: Do you know the difference between healthy and unhealthy movement?
2. Carry water and snacks with you.
Depending on the kind of destination, you might not have ready access to water and food. But that's not an excuse to restrict or to overeat.
Pack an appropriate amount of easy-to-consume snacks and plenty of water. If you're going to be out all day, pack a lot. If it's only a few hours, pack a little less.
3. Listen to hunger cues. Or set alarms to remind you to eat while traveling.
If you're in a new time zone, you may get hungry at "odd" times, like three a.m. local time. Don't wait until a more "normal" time to eat in your new surroundings — especially since there are no true "normal times." The most "normal" time to eat is whenever you're hungry.
If you are not aware of hunger and fullness cues yet, you may have to set alarms to remind yourself to eat every few hours. You can also ask a support person to gently remind you about meals and snacks, or follow their lead (only if you're with them for most of the day, and they have a healthy relationship with food.)
4. Use coping strategies as needed.
Remember those coping items you packed? Use them when you need to.
In addition, you can:
Talk to someone (it doesn't have to be about your eating disorder)
Repeat positive affirmations
Use breathing exercises
Do progressive muscle relaxation
Meditate using mindfulness apps
Take a shower, bath, or wash your face (if possible)
And don't forget that coping skills are a part of self-care, which is a practice. Even if you're on vacation, you still have to practice.
Related: Don't neglect these six mindful forms of self care while traveling in recovery.
5. Check in with yourself and others.
You might be hopping trains, rushing to appointments, or pushing through several challenges throughout your trip. It's easy, when you're moving this fast, to forget to slow down. But you have to slow down and check in with yourself and with someone else, if you can.
Reflect on your successes, slip ups, and how to stay on the path of recovery going forward.
Related: Learn how to identify what you're really feeling in recovery, because fat is not actually a feeling.
6. Respect where you are in your recovery.
Many aspects of traveling require a pretty firm hold on recovery — ones that you may not be ready for when they come up. Of course, you want to rise to the challenge and participate along with everyone else. But if you're in the early stages of recovery, then challenging yourself in an unfamiliar environment, without ready access to your treatment team, should not be your main focus.
Right now, your main goals are to avoid using any eating disorder behaviors and enjoy being out in the world as much as possible. So before you face any potential challenges, take some time to reflect on your mood, level of anxiety, and where you are in your recovery.
At this time, it may be triggering to:
Wear a revealing bathing suit at the beach
Buy new clothes at special stores
Take a whole lot of pictures
Go on long walks, hikes, bike rides, etc.
Challenge fear foods
Order without pre-planning
Try something completely new
It's okay to skip these challenges for now, if it means you won't lose the good habits you've built so far.
Related: This is how to tell if you're really in full recovery.
7. Think about looking back on these days.
While you shouldn't push yourself past your limits, consider what you want your future self to remember when looking back on this trip. Do you want to remember your trip being controlled by an eating disorder?
Or do you want to remember the dinners with loved ones, lazy strolls with beautiful views, and — most of all — being present for a totally new experience?
If you're a little more steady in your recovery, and have some support, branch out and challenge yourself. Do the things now that will make you proud later.
To really remember your trip, and how you maintained your recovery while traveling, you can journal, collect receipts from shops and restaurants, and take pictures. They don't have to be pictures of you. Take pictures of loved ones, scenic views, and silly moments.
What to Do if You're Struggling with Travel and an Eating Disorder
1. Talk to someone.
The worst thing you can do when you're struggling is isolate. Eating disorders thrive when you're cut off from your supports. With no one looking out for you, the eating disorder tries to take advantage of this any way it can.
So if you slip up, tell someone as soon as possible. They can guide you back to regular eating (if they have a good relationship with food, of course.) They can also act as a source of motivation and positivity.
2. Be kind to yourself.
In your eating disorder, and in early recovery, you probably had a lot of structure. When that structure is removed, you will face problems. You may slip up.
And that's okay. Recovery isn't perfect, and it's not supposed to be.
Related: Use these three practical strategies to overcome perfectionism in eating disorder recovery.
3. Know when it's time to come home.
If you're going on vacation for a week and you struggle, it's not usually life-threatening. You can come home and discuss where you're at with your treatment team as soon as you get back. But what if you're away from home for an extended amount of time, doing something like long-term work study or study abroad?
What if you're struggling now but you won't be home for another two months? What if you've tried to get back on track on your own, but you can't? At that point, it may be time to come home. Start by contacting your treatment team. Be honest about what's going on. Then talk with any program officials (depending on what you're traveling for). If they need some sort of medical excuse for you to leave, have your team contract them. Coordinate with your team, any program directors, and your loved ones to find your way back home.
You may feel like you have failed at recovery if you need to come home, but admitting you need help and taking the steps to change is a huge step forward on the path of recovery. And by going home when you need to, you might be saving your life.
If you or someone you love is suffering from an eating disorder, take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery, or simply learn more about the holistic eating disorder recovery programs we offer.