There’s no doubt that traveling from assignment to assignment requires a lot of adjusting. Packing up to move every 13 weeks (or so) is a lot of work; trying to stay on a schedule of working out and eating healthy can be rather difficult to keep track of on top of everything else.
Those who travel frequently sometimes find it difficult to keep a routine or acclimate to their new living situation quickly. It’s important for traveling medical professionals to stay in good health. Healthy eating and workout habits can help combat other stresses you may have due to your new assignment. Keeping a routine can help to keep you happy and make you successful each day at your new job.
So, how do you stay healthy on assignment when you’ve just got so much running around to do? Here’s a few of our favorite tips to keep you in tip-top shape.
1. Don’t let boredom lead to overeating. Moving to a new town can be hard. You’re not sure what to do in your free time—after all, you moved here specifically for the job. On your days off, you don’t always want to go out and explore—you just want to stay home and relax.
However, sometimes this can lead to boredom—which can quickly lead to eating a whole bag of chips on the couch while on your Netflix binge.
Don’t be afraid to get out and explore your new world. Ask your new co-workers what the best museums to visit are, where the local mall is or where’s the closest running trail. You don’t know unless you ask. On the days you’d just rather stay at home and relax, keep the food at a distance, overeating can get way out of hand, way fast.
2. When eating out, pick healthy options. Your new destination is bound to have lots of great, local restaurants to try out—and you’re going to want to try them! Eating as the locals do is part of taking in your new culture. It’s not a shame to want to eat out and try new things, but be conscious of what you’re taking in. Don’t eat out for EVERY meal; get a salad instead of fries, stick with the things you would do at home.
3. Substitute eating out for EVERY meal with meal planning and grocery shopping. Meal planning is the new “in” thing to do. Plan out your breakfasts, lunches and dinners every Sunday, grocery shop for the week and cook all day.
While sometimes doing all that isn’t necessarily feasible depending on your schedule, it is feasible to grab some healthier food options at the grocery store. Grab most of your meals from the grocery store, and treat yourself a couple nights a week with the local delicacies. You can never go wrong with a home cooked meal.
4. Find a gym. Depending on where you find your housing, you may have a fitness facility or a pool onsite, which makes this step easy! If you don’t live in an apartment complex or a hotel for the tenure of your stay, ask your landlord or travel agent if there are fitness facilities around that they partner with or recommend. If that option ends up being too expensive, find the local trails and hit the ground running. Sticking to a fitness schedule is a great way to reduce your stress and increase your productivity.
5. Find a routine that works for you, and stick with it. Everyone is different. No routine is going to work the same for you as it does for your co-worker. However, it is imperative that you find a routine that works for you. Try meal prepping, if you love it—stick to it every week! Work out a few times a week to keep your mood in check.
Then, when you move to your next assignment, try your hardest to keep it up!