Traveling at any time can be uncomfortable. Long car rides and interminable layovers can leave you feeling stiff and under-slept. Holidays especially are stressful times to pack your bags and hit the road. Whether to visit family or to escape the chaos, expect crowded airports, poor driving conditions and an extra dose of stress.

I’m not the fastest traveler or even the most comfortable. But, after years of living abroad, long-distance flights and overnight bus rides I can safely say I know what it takes to stay relaxed. Here’s my formula for getting from point A to point B with as little stress as possible.

Arrive Early: 

Nothing puts you under pressure like trying to keep a tight schedule, so give yourself more time than you could possibly need. Maybe you spend more time waiting, but a little thumb twiddling is much better than trying to rush.

Pack Light:

How upset would you be if you lost this? How much are you likely to use it? After having lost my laptop, headphones and a hard drive with a year's worth of work, I tend to leave my important things at home. For short trips I recommend packing clothes, money, your phone and things you wouldn’t mind losing.

Dress for Comfort:

Having a full range of motion makes a huge difference when you need to get up and stretch. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, pants with enough movement to squat in and a sweater that can double as a pillow. Jeans, dress shoes and button down shirts? - Never.

Eat Ahead of Time

Finding good food while on the road is always a challenge so eat a big meal before you leave. If you’re traveling for a half-day or less, consider fasting. Eating then being forced to sit for hours doesn’t make my digestion happy. Maybe you like eating airport food, but eating ahead of time always makes a difference for me.

Wait with Purpose

Standing in line doesn't need to be awful. If you arrive early with plenty of time standing in line can be a yoga practice. I check in on my posture. I do my breathing exercises. I do calf raises and practice my balance. 

Move When You Can

If you can go for a walk then do it. Get your steps in every time you don’t have to sit, you’ll be forced to sit soon enough. If you arrive early enough you might have time for a 20-40 minutes walk.

Leave Work for Later

It’s tempting to tell yourself, ‘I’ll answer those emails at the airport’ or ‘I’ll finish this project in the car’. No doubt there are people out there who can do this. I can never be productive while traveling outside of maybe jotting some ideas down in a notebook. If it has a deadline I always try to finish before packing my bags.

Stay loose while you travel

Don’t let being forced to sit for long drives or plane rides aggravate your back pain and leave you stiff. You can do this seated, full-body mobilization sequence anywhere.