Developing a Wellness Mindset

A ton of time on the road, early mornings, and late nights at events, committees, and government meetings take time away from your routine, home, and family life. Being a sports tourism professional can challenge our bodies and minds. Prioritizing time to plan and act on taking better care of ourselves can benefit us all.

We have experienced slight shifts in conference and trade show schedules that help attendees accomplish more while away from home and the office to better utilize their time on-site. This has been a consideration of previous jam-packed agendas, the need and willingness of hosted receptions and dinners, and the overall recognition of burnout. We, too, have witnessed an increased focus on a better approach to living with the acceptance of remote work, thus catering to a more balanced lifestyle.

While we all are interested in wellness, and we create programming to help our consumers accomplish just that in one way or another, we often overlook ourselves.

As sports tourism professionals with significant event planning responsibilities, we can sometimes experience considerable stress on the job. This drives home the importance of maintaining wellness practices while caring and preparing for athletes, spectators, vendors, officials, and clients. Ensuring you pay attention to your health while juggling many tasks can be daunting. One starting point is the creation of habits. Habits while working in your city, and habits while on the road attending site visits, calling in clients, and attending conferences and trade shows.

Movement Goals

We know from countless health-related articles that taking many steps daily can reduce your chances of several afflictions, such as cancer, heart disease, and even dementia. The set standard for an average healthy adult is 10,000 steps per day. That may be an aggressive number for many starting out. The most important activity is to move.

Reducing your chances of severe illness by moving is a motivating benefit. Though accomplishing those standards is much easier when you set goals and track your progress. Starting at 6,000 steps a day for 30 days can be significant. Then increase by another 1,000 steps per day the following month. Creating a baby-step process to build toward a goal will lead to a sustained pattern and consistent lifestyle choices rather than attempting a lofty goal.

Maintaining Activity While Traveling

Building a healthy lifestyle is imperative because if we are unhealthy, how can we contribute our maximum potential to others? This is a tricky question for extremely busy sports tourism professionals, especially those who spend much time on the road. Our schedules can be intense and seemingly nonstop. However, there are plenty of ways to focus on healthy practices during events and while traveling. First, you must prioritize sleep.

As we all know, event schedules can be hectic with networking, late nights, and early mornings. Proper rest is essential to a healthy lifestyle as it relates to all bodily systems. Arranging restful sleep habits is important when hosting an event or attending a conference. So, when considering having another drink or heading to another bar for one more, think again and put your health first.

Trying to sleep in an unfamiliar hotel room can be tricky too. When you do Rise and Shine, based on your schedule for the day, you may not have the ability to use the hotel gym. Still, you can squeeze in a few minutes for some simple exercises that can be performed in any location, such as stretching, sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, triceps extension, and planks.

Once ready to tackle the day, we must also be mindful of our menu choices. Hydration and foods high in protein and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, will keep you full of energy and focus till the end of the day. Do your best to avoid foods containing sugar, salt, and saturated fats, as they will leave you drained.

Positive Mental Focus

We can all count well over 10,000 steps daily, but the total number does not account for anything if your thoughts have shifted negatively.

We all need mental breaks throughout the day to maintain a positive mindset. That may feel impossible while you accomplish your never-ending to-do list. Still, these short breaks can provide the needed opportunity to disconnect. A phone call to loved ones, reading a book chapter, a ten-minute walk away from the action, or even a non-work or event-related conversation during a lunch break can go a long way.

Preserving Your Wellness Initiatives While at Conferences

Beginning with food and beverage offerings at conferences, menu selections play a massive role in how you, as an attendee, feel throughout the day. Do your best to include as many plant-based offerings as possible, protein, and an increase in fruit. Work to avoid rich, heavy foods. Be prepared to bring healthy choices to supplement your nutrition if needed. Use your conference breaks wisely by going outside.

If you have 30 minutes before your next appointment, sit outside in the sun and take in all that a new city has to offer. In addition to taking advantage of breaks, be mindful of your start and end times of each day. While conferences wish to provide as many sessions and networking functions as possible, balancing everything happening back home in the office or personally can be tough. Prioritize your responsibilities; it is OK to step away from a conference, keeping in mind your workload and being able to manage your rest and recovery.