Easy Summer Self-Care Ideas For Female Travelers

Summertime means fun in the sun, relaxing at the beach, going on vacation, spending quality time with family and friends, and staycations.

But the summertime can also mean heatwaves, busy (and expensive) travel plans, lots of responsibilities, reduced productivity, and a lack of self-care with so much going on.

So here are some easy summer self-care ideas to help you enjoy the season while taking good care of yourself.

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration. Dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps. If you feel thirsty, drink more water than usual.

Helpful tips

1. Drink up to around 2–2.5 liters of water a day
2. Carry a reusable water bottle with you everywhere.
3. Other Signs of dehydration to watch out for; are dry mouth, peeing less than 3 or 4 times a day, darker, strong smell pee), visible fluid retention (swollen legs, feet, etc) feeling lightheaded.

Don’t Drink Too Much

Water intoxication can be just as dangerous as dehydration, and it’s actually easier than you think to drink too much when it’s crazy hot outside and you’re constantly thirsty.

Apparently the maximum we should drink as ladies is 0.8 to 1 liters of water per hour max.

Don’t make the mistake of drinking almost double what you are supposed to as it will make you sick.

Always Bring Sunscreen

If you’re going somewhere sunny, make sure you pack sunscreen. It’s easy to forget about sun protection when you’re packing for a trip, so make sure you have enough SPF 30+ lotion to last through the day.

Reapply the sunscreen often and if you have a fair complexion like me use a higher factor sunscreen.

Wear A Hat

Avoid getting nasty headaches in the hot weather by wearing a hat when you are off exploring outside.

Be Prepared

Pack a first aid kit. Make sure it includes bandages, antiseptic wipes, and any other supplies you might need. You should also bring along some pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to help ease minor aches and pains.

Fluid Retention In The Heat

If you retain fluid in the heat like I sometimes do and find yourself with swollen legs, ankles (cankles) or feet, or experience any puffiness or bloating, these are the best remedies in my experience:
1. Elevate your feet above your heart as much as poss. Sleep with your feet raised.
2. Take diuretics
3. Eat potassium and magnesium-rich foods like tomatoes and leafy veg
4. Reduce your salt intake
5. Eat more protein
6. Walk a lot. It might be uncomfortable or painful but it does help.

And obviously seek medical attention if the symptoms get worse not better no matter what remedies you try, or if you still have fluid retention after a few days.

Be An Early Riser

Wake up early to do all of the outdoor activities on your list. Temperatures are generally highest in the afternoon, around 3 pm is brutal on a super hot day, so you’ll avoid the hottest times of day if you get up and out early in the morning.

Plus by going to attractions, and scenic places early you can beat some of the summer crowds.

Do Indoor Activities

Whether you’re on vacation, or just enjoying a staycation at home, make the most of indoor activities when it’s really hot outside.

And if you’re visiting somewhere with high temperatures that have lots of outdoor sights, simply break up those activities with galleries, museums, shops, and underground tours.

Eat Healthy Foods

In the summer, especially if you travel, diets can get annihilated very quickly with all the delicious foods on offer (ice cream anyone!?). All the eating out treats, and drinking can all make us sick though.

So just balance out all the ice cream and fast food with some fruit and vegetables. There is fresh produce everywhere in the summertime making it pretty easy to eat healthily.

Helpful Tips

1. Go to local farmers' markets if you’re at home
2. Order a side serving of salad or fruit with your meal
3. Switch out fries for salad occasionally
4. Enjoy a fruit smoothie
5. Take multi-vitamins

Take Regular Breaks

Give yourself permission to have an afternoon siesta, or at least take breaks regularly when it’s hot outside.

You will be far more productive and have more energy if you listen to your body when it tells you it's tired.

Unplug From Technology

Just like our phones and computers need to be turned off and updated every once in a while, so do we. So take breaks from all of your devices on a regular basis.

It’s one of the easiest and most impactful ways to practice self-care for your mental and emotional health. Just try it for an hour or two every week to begin with and see how it feels.

Also, try unplugging at least 30–60 minutes before your heading to bed. If you have to just put your phone in another room or far away from the bed so you’re not tempted to look at it.

Get Plenty Of Sleep

With so much going on during the summer, it’s easy to have too many late nights and not enough sleep.

Energy levels, health, and mood are all really impacted by how much beauty sleep we get, so try to keep a vaguely decent sleep schedule while you’re having fun. Or mix up your late nights with some early ones or the odd lay-in.

Don’t Drink & Drive

If you plan to drink alcohol while driving, make sure you designate a sober driver who will take over when you arrive at your destination. Also, never drink and drive. It’s illegal, dangerous, and irresponsible.

Take Vacation Days

Don’t have any summer travel plans this year? Doesn’t matter, still take some time off.

Even if you are literally just staying home all summer, taking time off work is important for your well-being

If you don’t really have vacation time available or your business is just really busy then just see if you can take a Friday or Monday off work to have a 3 or 4-day break.

Create A Summer Playlist

Pick out all your favorite summer tunes that make you smile and create a playlist.

Listening to music with upbeat rhythms and positive lyrics will help reduce any stress you’re feeling, and it will just give you a boost especially if you are feeling down.

Protect Yourself From Heat Rashes

Sometimes our skin has an allergic reaction to the sun, especially if we go to a new place we’ve never been to before.

If that happens to you, and you find you have an ugly rash in the heat, cover your skin as much as possible. Also, get cream or ointment for it as soon as possible, and try to stay indoors more.

If you stay out in the heat, especially uncovered, it could get progressively worse very very quickly if you don’t treat it (from personal experience)

Pamper Yourself More

An easy way to practice self-care is to just pamper yourself a little. There are loads of inexpensive ways to make yourself feel good that you can do easily whether you are traveling or staying at home.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Paint your nails and/or your toenails
2. Put on a sheet face mask
3. Take a long relaxing bath
4. Use a hydrating hair mask
5. Use a body scrub

Do Something Creative

Being creative is always great for mental and emotional health, and there are lots of things you can do when the weather is nice.

Here are some ideas for you:

1. Paint or color by numbers for adults
2. Learn to draw
3. Write a book (or blog posts)
4. Upcycle a piece of furniture
5. Make something for your home
6. Learn to draw (or paint)

Need inspiration? My go-to’s are Pinterest and other bloggers.

Have Relaxed Days With Nothing Planned

If you have a tendency to plan every day and every single thing that you do, try enjoying the odd day with absolutely no plans at all.

Try going to bed sometimes without an alarm set for the morning, or enjoy exploring somewhere with no itinerary set for the day. Your mind and body just need a rest sometimes so having no plans will help you to relax.

Plan & Schedule Your Self-Care Time

Finally, if self-care is something you just REALLY find tough, try scheduling some self-care activities into your summer plans.

For example, you could try just setting aside a few minutes every day to do something that will make you feel good. Or you could book some specific activities like going for a massage or getting your nails done.

No matter what you do during the summertime, the most important thing is just that you take care of yourself and make yourself a priority.

So whether you are staying home or traveling this summer, I hope these 20 ideas will help you to enjoy the sunshine and practice some self-care.