There’s a lot of things to cover in Vietnam. You could travel there for months, even years, and still have not seen everything. So when we go there and try to see “everything” in just one month, we’re going to be feeling exhausted. But there’s an antidote to travel fatigue. If you follow these steps, you won’t be burnt out during your trip in Vietnam.
Don’t think your trip has to be perfect
Before traveling, you probably had this idea of how things were going to go and how you were supposed to feel. You’re researching all these new destinations you want to go to and spending 15 hours on a bus doesn’t sound so bad. But once you start traveling, you realize that reality looks way different than you imagined. Perhaps the place you went to doesn’t look the way you thought it would or you simply just don’t like it. So you start freaking out a bit on the inside because it hasn’t gone the way you’d imagined it to. It’s not “perfect”. But if you want to truly enjoy traveling, you have to let go of the idea of perfection. Nothing will probably go the way it’s supposed to and that’s the charm with traveling. It’s unpredictable. Instead of feeling bad about it, make peace with that and know that sometimes when things don’t go the way we planned, it’s a blessing rather than a curse.
Spend a day doing nothing
If you feel like you’ve done way too much in the past days, maybe even weeks, it’s very important to unwind and relax. Your body and mind needs to take it easy from time to time, otherwise you’ll completely burn yourself out. Why not just lay in bed watching movies and ordering room service? Or go to a café and read a book all day long?
Stay in one place for a longer time
This might not be a popular thing to do, especially if you only have a limited amount of time, but slow traveling is great if you want to avoid burning out and really immerse yourself in the place you’re at. Often times, we pass by places without ever truly seeing them. We spend 1-2 days there and then hop to the other city. But when you slow travel, you get to find spots that you wouldn’t have found if you only stayed for a short time. You get to find your favorite café, you can establish a routine and perhaps even meeting local friends. Staying in one place for a longer time is underrated and can be way more rewarding than bouncing from one place to the other.
Work out
You don’t need to do a 2 hour sweat session at a gym, it could be enough to just go out for a quick run, do some yoga or why not guided meditation, if you’d rather care for your mind. But even if you feel tired, working out can actually make you feel much better rather than making you feel more exhausted.
Connect with people from home
Hearing familiar voices and talking to people who knows you well can be the best cure of them all. They’re usually the ones who can give us the best and most honest advice.
Enjoy nature
There’s plenty of nature to enjoy in Vietnam so when you start feeling burnt out, nature can be a great cure. Why not just enjoy one of many beaches in Vietnam or go for a long walk in a public park. Being in nature could do a lot to lift your spirits up.
Know when it’s time to go home
When I was traveling around in Southeast Asia, I felt mentally and physically exhausted. Nothing felt exciting to me anymore and all I wanted to do was to stay in bed. I didn’t want to talk to anyone or make any new friends. I barely felt excited about traveling anymore. I told myself over and over again that this was just a phase and that I would soon get back on my feet. I thought I was burnt out so I rested, I practiced self care and I worked out. But nothing really worked for me and I quickly realized that it wasn’t travel burnout – it was something else. I dragged it out for quite a bit until my mental health wasn’t feeling very good. So I booked a flight home and I felt so much relief and happiness. That’s when I realized that I had done the right choice.
Most of the times, you probably don’t have to go home. But if more time passes and you’re just not enjoying yourself, what’s the point in staying? You’re just going to spend all of your money on something that you’re not even loving. So, go home, recharge and do something that you love – whatever that may be!
