A tricky side effect of SVT is that many of us become afraid to travel…All the what if’s pile up and we become overwhelmed with fear….If you decide to travel here are some tips to help support you before, during and after…

beach chairs1. Try to book a flight during normal daytime hours….Not one where you will dig into your normal sleep routine super early in the morn or late at night. As we know proper sleep is essential to avoid an SVT. If you are traveling abroad usually the flights are during the night so this can damage your sleep, especially if you cant sleep on a flight…So other than traveling to Europe etc…try to fly at normal times during the day.

2. Buy the packets of electrolytes, Green Vibrance, balanced minerals and take them with you. Drink up before, mid-air and after landing….Keep them in your wallet, purse, make up case, whatever…You are allowed to board a plane with these…Pack a bunch on your regular suitcase for daily maintenance during your trip.green vib

3. Stay hydrated….Drink plenty before you get to security..and then as soon as you are through go and buy 2 huge liters of water to drink on the plane. Yes , it’s a total rip off but you need your water, so there is no need to get upset about the airport completely over charging you! When you land, continue drinking a ton of water….double what you normally would. This will also help with constipation etc…that can be a side effect of travel.

4. Apply essential oils, lavender, peace and calming, whatever you like….these will relax you during a flight and help you feel like you are in your own little world. Re-apply as needed.peace

5. Travel light. No schlepping heavy bags…You need less than half of what you think you need in general. Check your bags and only bring on the plane what you need…

6. Plane carry on essentials: Water, packets of minerals, green vibrance, etc, sleep mask, ear phones, food bars, (kind bars, macro bars) fruit, apple, banana, book.

7. Eat light, no weird heavy foods, and definitely no sugar or gluten. Eat a light protein meal prior to the flight and try to avoid any meal on board a plane. If you do eat it, again no bread, or sugar or desserts. No soda, and definitely no alcohol.

8. Talk yourself through your “worst case scenario”….What if you have an SVT on board a flight? (Has this actually ever happened to anyone? If so, please comment with your experience)  This is what I think I would do….Number one, give it to God…while I may not be religious, I would have to completely give up control and just ask that it be in Gods hands…2. I would blow immediately into my cupped hands and begin trying to break the SVT. I would probably squat in my chair and massage the side of my neck. If you are really worried beforehand, you might call the airline and ask if they have a defibrillator on board every flight and ask what is their standard routine for someone experiencing SVT mid-flight….(I would make this call anonymously). While I have never gotten to the point of passing out, I have heard that this can happen after several hours of an SVT and if/when it does your heart re-sets itself and you wake up…So, if that’s true, passing out would probably be my worst case scenario but truthfully, it’s probably not that bad…(passing out in your chair and waking up with your heart re-set)…I guess I would inform the person next to me of what was happening, and let them know to stay calm, and see if they are willing to help you….

9. I would make the same phone call to the hotel or place of your destination. Call the concierge and tell them you have a health condition that is infrequent and non life threatening, but can cause anxiety so you like to check ahead and see if they have defib’s in their hotel, and if they can tell you the name of the nearest hospital and check for you if they are familiar with SVT and giving people adenosine if needed…The point of all of this is to try to ease your anxiety so that if you have an SVT that you can’t break, you know what you are dealing with. Remote locations are obviously less likely to be equipped.

10. Tell people about your condition. This is a personal choice but one that eases my anxiety. I find if I am traveling, (even going to a conference) I always leave it in the universe’s hands to guide me…and usually I wind up sitting next to someone cool. Last time I traveled I sat next to a nurse. I immediately felt more comfortable and told her that I sometimes get SVT’s etc…Just revealing my condition helped to ease my fear of having one by 100%. I also am open with people in my office, and clients…I find if I deflate the situation in advance it helps decrease my nerves about the whole thing and I can move on…(which can be counter productive as nerves contribute to SVT). So do whatever you need to do to ease your nerves.

11. If you are a woman, try not to book travel around your menstrual cycle. As we know SVT’s increase around that time.

spa12. Book travel that suits your lifestyle….What kind of trips and vacations are you going on? Maybe its time to really reflect on what suits you…A trip to a spa, where you will be getting massages, meditating, and eating amazing food is less likely to cause anxiety and an SVT than a Booze Cruise. What are your goals for your vacation? Sitting on a gorgeous beach in a relaxed environment may be exactly what you need….While going on a safari or hike or sport trip may be pushing yourself too much…Really be honest with yourself when deciding how to spend your money.

13. During personal travel be sure to travel with people you love and trust and support you if a health crisis comes up. If someone you are traveling with doesnt fit this bill, maybe re-consider why you are traveling with them…

14. On business travel, make yourself as comfortable as possible beforehand and see if you can confide in someone about your minor health issue. Again, just revealing it might ease things up and help you feel comfortable if it happens.

15. Do everything WITHIN your control to support your health on a stretchingdaily basis and this alone will help ease your anxiety. If you know that you have done everything you can to avoid an SVT, and one happens, then you did your best, and you just have to deal with the experience. Use all the tricks to break it and if it wont stop, then you will go to the hospital just like you would at home. Its really just life….People have unexpected health conditions all the time, anywhere, anytime anyplace. Living in fear doesn’t do us any good and there is no reason to live in fear if you are confident that you are supporting yourself on a daily basis…

The reason why travel depletes us is because it breaks our routines, So just try to stick with your routine as much as possible no matter where you are. Bring your vitamins, probiotics, eat well, stretch in your room, meditate, bring what you need to be comfortable and stay aware of water intake, and all the other usual things you are doing….

I would love to hear about how people support themselves during travel or what you have done during an SVT during travel…please feel free to share your experiences!

Love and healing, Laura