How to Sustain Eating Disorder Recovery on Long Flights

Hannah
Nov 12, 2022
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Photo of the bangkok airport . A tunnel like building. Taken from the top of the escalator looking down

When you travel as much as I do, more often than not you end up on super long and exhausting flights. Just to get to Asia it takes at least 10 hours on one flight plus another flight to get to your specific destination. Maintaining eating disorder recovery while traveling for such a long time can be a challenge but it doesn’t have to be. Here are my favorite strategies I use to maintain eating disorder recovery while traveling on airplanes.

THE CHALLENGE OF AIRPORTS From an Eating Disorder Perspective

When I travel, I always have a game plan for food, flight info and any other travel details I might need to know. Above all, maintaining my eating disorder recovery has to come first and that can be hard when you are tired, overwhelmed and figuring out stuff as you go. So along with the details of my trip I also need a mental health plan.

For me, airports are a big trigger. It’s ironic considering I spend a lot of time in them; you’d think I would get used to them. Airports are uncomfortable, filled with people and are a sea of decision making, which is where I get into trouble. I am terrible at making decisions. Then add to it exhaustion, hunger and some anxiety and you have a recipe for disaster.

THE Eating Disorder CYCLE OF DOOM

The more tired I get or the hungrier I get the harder it is to make those decisions. It’s basically a cycle of doom. I’m nervous so I have a hard time eating then I’m exhausted because I have been in an airplane for so long which adds together to equal Hannah walking around the airport close to tears trying to decide what I should get to eat.

With all that said, I still keep traveling the world and putting myself into challenging situations. How do I do it? I have a mental health and recovery game plan. Here are some tips and strategies I use that have helped me not only get through a 10+ hr flight or journey but have also helped me maintain my eating disorder recovery and kept me balanced.

5 Strategies to Help You Maintain Eating Disorder Recovery While On a Long Flight

1. Be Prepared:

An easy way of avoiding making decisions on what to eat or what not to eat while traveling is to bring your own food. When I first started out I would bring meals and snacks with me so that I knew what I was going to eat and didn’t have to even think about it. Now I just bring a boat load of snacks and then grab food at the airport or on the plane. With practice I have learned how to make decisions in an airport around food which allows me to be more flexible and have more fun. But if that seems like too much still just bring all your own food.

Check out this article: HOW TO CHOSE THE RIGHT SNACKS FOR AN ADVENTURE

2. Think About Following a Meal Plan:

If you have been in eating disorder treatment before you will recognize the phrase “meal plan”. Basically it means three meals and three snacks everyday. In treatment, I had a meal plan to retrain my brain what it felt like to be hungry, full and eat on a regular basis. As you grow in your recovery you stop needing that much structure but in a tricky and potentially very triggering situation it never hurts to fall back on it. The Meal Plan is there to support you and if airports and traveling is anxiety provoking it is the perfect time to use it.

3. Trust Your Gut and Commit:

As much as I would like to walk around the entire airport and see all of my options I know that doing that doesn’t help me at all. In fact, it actually fuels my eating disorder because it adds to my anxiety. So instead, when I am trying to decide what to eat, I look around and the first thing I see that looks good I buy and eat. No second guessing, no comparing, no walking around feeling overwhelmed. Just chose the first thing you see and commit.

4. Have a Mental Health Toolbox:

A mental health toolbox is what I call the techniques and coping strategies I use to stay balanced and calm while traveling. Before you go on a trip try to think about what techniques work best for you. Do you have a favorite breathing exercise? What about a playlist that helps you stay calm and present? These tools are extremely helpful but can sometimes be forgotten in a crisis. If you already have a plan for when anxiety feels overwhelming then it is easy to pull out the tools to help you get through it.

5. Identify Your Support:

On any long trip, no matter if it is your first or your 50th, you are bound to be a little nervous. As someone who struggles with anxiety, this is a fact of my life. So, to combat it, I make sure I know who to call when I feel scared, alone and completely overwhelmed.

If you are traveling internationally this can be a little more challenging but usually you can connect to the Airport Wifi and use that to message someone or face time your support. Identifying a mental health support team while traveling is extremely important.

Bonus Tip: Anticipate What You Might Need Regarding Transportation from the Airport to Your Accommodation.

Overall, no matter how many strategies you have, after a long trip you are going to feel super exhausted, a bit overwhelmed and ready for bed. To make the transition between the airport and your hostel more smooth I recommend making sure to answer the following questions.

What I Think About Before a Flight:

What is my priority? Getting there fast or getting there cheap? Can I do both?
What form of transportation do I want to use? Taxi? Shuttle? Bus? Train? Metro? Walking?
Are there buses that I can take that are not too complicated?
- If I just finished traveling for 10+ hrs maybe it is worth the extra money to take a taxi straight to my accommodation? Maybe not?
What time am I arriving? Is it nighttime or daytime?
If I am arriving at night, what is the safest option? Is my hostel open 24hrs? If not, can I stay at the airport until it is?
What is the address of my hostel? Do I have my reservation in paper format?
Do I need internet to get to my hostel or can I wait and get a sim card later?
How much money will it cost to get to my accomodation? Do I need local currency? (Ubers and taxis can be ordered through an app but usually request local cash. So make sure you have enough to get you to your destinations).

There are a lot of other questions you can ask yourself before a trip; but those are the ones I always make sure to answer. That way I feel a little more prepared and I have a game plan for when I arrive.