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You are here: Home / Travel Tips / Practice Mindfulness on Your Next Family Vacation
Tips to Practice Mindful Travel on Your Next Family Vacation

Practice Mindfulness on Your Next Family Vacation

August 13, 2016 //  by Jenn Mitchell//  24 Comments

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At the heart of family travel is encouraging family bonding and creating lasting memories. One of the best ways to make a lasting connection as a family is to practice mindfulness while you travel. It’s so easy to become distracted while traveling. Put that impulse in check with a goal to live in the moment.

Mindfulness in travel may seem like work, but concentrating on enjoying the moment for what it is pays off in experiences and memories.
Taking in the moment. Photo by Fitness TMOM – Jenn Mitchell

Mindful travel takes practice. It’s challenging to give your full attention to the moment. It also takes commitment to live in the present and accept what cannot be changed. Try these tips on your next trip and let us know how it goes.

Tips for practicing mindfulness on your next family vacation

Let Go of Control

It may rain, schedules will change, attractions may be closed. Trying to be in control on vacation can drive you completely crazy. The uncertainly of travel can make me a bit nervous, but I’ve learned to accept that there are many, many things that I cannot control. Be mindful of what causes you stress and try to let go. A fun activity we’ve started as a family is keeping track of the things that do not go as planned. It’s our “oops!” report. This helps us keep our sense of humor when things go wrong.

Mindfulness in travel may seem like work, but concentrating on enjoying the moment for what it is pays off in experiences and memories.
Embracing a moment of fresh air during a flight delay. Photo by Fitness TMOM – Jenn Mitchell

Create a No Judgement Zone

People in different places and cultures do things differently. Instead of getting caught up in judging what seems strange, unsafe or unsanitary to you, focus on what life lesson can be learned in these moments. For example, when I was in Thailand, seeing four people (baby included) on a moped seemed CRAZY to me, but I needed to accept that it was commonplace there. Instead, I tried to focus on the beautiful family and not their mode of transportation. Keep an open mind and you’ll enjoy each moment more fully.

Live in the moment

Our kids are 11 and 13, so they often want to be plugged in to their gadgets. My husband and I have challenged them to spend time just living in the moment. We want them to observe using all of their senses. What colors do they notice? What sounds do they hear? Are there any particular smells? What new flavors can they identify in a meal? Even it it’s just for a few minutes a few times each day, it makes such a difference.

Do More with Less

It can be very tempting to try to fit in everything in a given place. You’ve done your research and you want to see it all. Instead, consider exploring fewer things and allowing for more flexibility in your schedule. Rushing around to fit in every “must see” attraction leaves little time for unscheduled discoveries. These unplanned moments are often the fondest memories from our family vacations. Our kids still reminisce about running through a muddy marsh in Quebec, Canada (and this was 5 years ago).

Mindfulness in travel may seem like work, but concentrating on enjoying the moment for what it is pays off in experiences and memories. Like running through muddy marshes!
An unplanned run through the mud. Photo by Fitness TMOM – Jenn Mitchell

Keep Travel Journals

We require our kids to keep journals when we travel. They don’t need to write a detailed narrative of the day. Instead, we ask them to do anything that feels special to them. Some days they will write a paragraph. Other days they will draw a picture or glue a ticket stub. I have a library of wonderful travel journals from the time I was a teenager. I’m glad we started earlier with our kids. Some of the cutest keepsakes are journal entries from when they were 5 and 7. It’s never too early to have your kids start recording their memories in some way.

Schedule camera-free time

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This is a huge challenge for my husband and me since we LOVE taking photos. That said, we have caught ourselves spending far too much time concerned with setting up the perfect shot instead of enjoying the moment. We have recently started having camera-free time on our trips. Some tourist activities provide photo services. This really came in handy on a recent visit to Discovery Cove in Orlando. Consider giving this option a try. Otherwise, challenge your family to stay camera-free for at least a few hours each day.

Mindfulness in travel may seem like work, but concentrating on enjoying the moment for what it is pays off in experiences and memories.
Collecting shells for souvenirs. Photo by Fitness TMOM Jenn Mitchell

Create Home-made Souvenirs

A few years ago, we started realizing that we waste a lot of time trying to find the perfect souvenirs for everyone. We have not given up shopping entirely, but we also challenge the kids to create their own souvenirs. For beach vacations, they collect shells. In cities, they put together collages of ticket stubs and post cards.

Embrace the wait

Waiting is the one constant in travel. At the airport, hotel check-ins, ticket lines, etc., waiting cannot be avoided. Instead of allowing these situations to cause frustration, “embrace the wait.” Use the time to observe your surroundings. It’s often in these moments that you’ll catch a glimpse of locals and visitors from other countries. Observe their languages, style, and how they interact with one another.

What are the ways that you practice mindfulness when you travel?

Tips to Practice Mindful Travel on Your Next Family Vacation

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24 Comments on “Practice Mindfulness on Your Next Family Vacation”

  1. Jeanna Mass says:
    December 13, 2016 at 11:33 pm

    Thanks for all the wonderful tips and ideas!

    Reply
  2. Margaret Smith says:
    October 20, 2016 at 6:41 am

    What a wonderful article. Life is so short and the advice of living in the moment is so wonderful.

    Reply
  3. tiffany dayton says:
    October 15, 2016 at 8:25 pm

    I enjoyed reading about your vacations. Nice places to go.

    Reply
  4. Julie Wood says:
    October 14, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Live in the Moment and just relax is what I do on vacation with my family. We had a great summer vacation and the kids had a blast just doing simple things.

    Reply
  5. shannon says:
    October 11, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    great ideas. I love unplugging while on vacation. its hard to stay mindful if you are always connected via social media or texting.

    Reply
  6. Sarah L says:
    October 11, 2016 at 12:45 am

    I was lucky in that my parents practiced this (I certainly didn’t notice at the time). We spent a lot of time observing nature wherever we were.
    Great tips.

    Reply
  7. Dan Dykstra says:
    October 5, 2016 at 8:58 pm

    Thanks for the tips. We usually have a difficult time planning out a vacation.

    Reply
  8. Laurie Nykaza says:
    October 3, 2016 at 11:11 pm

    Great tips to think about to make a wonderful trip even better thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  9. Betsy Barnes says:
    October 3, 2016 at 7:08 pm

    Great tips! We often save time to explore, taking photos and creating memories when we’re on vacation. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Natalie Holland says:
    September 28, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    These are great vacation trip for the family tips! I need a vacation in my life.

    Reply
  11. Carolyn Daley says:
    September 27, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    I love the tips including to create a no judgement zone. I agree that sometimes the unplanned moments are the best. Sometimes it is best to have a free day with nothing particular in mind. Do activities and try new places as you come across them.

    Reply
  12. Nikolina says:
    September 27, 2016 at 2:32 am

    I really enjoyed reading the entire post, thank you!

    Reply
  13. april says:
    September 24, 2016 at 1:53 pm

    What a great reminder! Sometimes we can get caught up in all of the “to-do”s of a vacation and forget what we’re really supposed to be doing, which is creating special bonds and memories.

    Reply
  14. Sara S says:
    September 24, 2016 at 11:22 am

    Good post! I have trouble living in the moment and tend to worry how my family will remember the vacation rather than enjoying the moment.

    Reply
  15. krysta d says:
    September 23, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    I really enjoyed this post – sometimes vacations can be more stressful than relaxing! Its so to try and stay mindful and enjoy each minute with friends or family!

    Reply
  16. Kayte CookWatts says:
    September 22, 2016 at 6:19 pm

    I love this post- especially the “no judgement” tip when you travel. Looking back family trips were some of the strongest memories of my childhood, and I am so grateful for the times when we got away from daily routines and just enjoyed each others company.

    Reply
  17. Sarah Hayes says:
    September 19, 2016 at 6:44 pm

    I love these tips, esp to live in the moment. that helps any trip be more enjoyable

    Reply
  18. natasha lamoreux says:
    August 18, 2016 at 11:25 am

    I love the idea of keeping traveling journals. We have such great memories of vacations together but it is impossible to remember all the details for every trip. I will be writing in my travel journal from now on.

    Reply
  19. Christine Tibbetts says:
    August 15, 2016 at 2:29 pm

    So many memorable thoughts to hold on to—like “embrace the wait.”
    Thanks for such clear and do-able ideas.

    Reply
  20. Anonymous says:
    August 15, 2016 at 2:28 pm

    4.5

    Reply
  21. Amy Ledesma says:
    August 14, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    I for one sure do agree about unplugging on a trip. Im a bit firmer as I am like No gadgets ! This was a great article, The homemade souvenirs are real memory makers.

    Reply
  22. Katie says:
    August 13, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    Fabulous tips! Thanks you for sharing your insight!

    Reply
  23. Anonymous says:
    August 13, 2016 at 3:22 pm

    5

    Reply
  24. Jennifer Greene, Tween 'N Teen TravelingMom says:
    August 13, 2016 at 10:52 am

    5

    Reply

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