Arrive Steady. Stay Human. Recover Well.
Simple, practical ways to arrive grounded, stay steady when the day gets wild and come back to yourself when the tour is done.
Your Nervous System Needs Some Love
Guiding isn’t only physically tiring.
Your brain and body are constantly tracking information: time, traffic, weather, guest moods, safety, changing plans and the possibility that someone has wandered off again.
That ongoing state of readiness can stay switched on long after the obvious work is finished.
You might finally get to your room and realise your shoulders are still tense, your mind is replaying conversations and part of you is waiting for the phone to ring.
Resetting isn’t about treating yourself because you survived the day, it’s about helping your system recognise that it’s safe to come down from high alert.
Good food, clean water, movement, quiet, sleep and moments without demands aren’t rewards or extras. They’re essential, they help your body complete the work your mind has already moved on from. Believe it or not, with practise you can stop the incessant chatter in your mind and the ongoing thoughts!
Before the Tour
The way you enter a welcome meeting really matters.
Starting rushed, hungry, scattered and chasing missing information means your nervous system is working overtime before you’ve even said hello.
You can’t control everything that happens before a trip, but you can reduce some of the unnecessary chaos.
Before meeting the group:
read the trip notes properly
check bookings, rooming lists, timings and contact details
understand the main risks and responsibilities
understand the dietary and medical information you’ve received and remind yourself to check in with any complex guests
eat something that qualifies as an actually nutritious meal
fill your water bottle
arrive early enough to breathe deeply before you begin
notice how you’re feeling before you absorb the energy of the group
Preparation isn’t only an Organiser skill, it’s also nervous-system support!
The fewer avoidable uncertainties you’re carrying, the more attention you’ll have available for the people in front of you.
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Before meeting the group:
eat something nourishing
check your own energy before checking everyone else’s
remind yourself that guests are capable adults
know what support you can realistically offer
practise caring without trying to guarantee everyone’s happiness
Before-tour reminder: I can welcome people warmly without becoming responsible for their entire experience.
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Before meeting the group:
confirm the genuinely important details
write down anything still unresolved
decide what can wait
stop checking once you’ve checked properly
remember that the plan is there to support you, not imprison you
Before-tour reminder: I know enough to begin. I can respond to the rest as it happens.
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Before meeting the group:
take a quiet moment before switching on
notice whether you’re excited or seeking approval
choose curiosity over performance
prepare one warm welcome rather than twelve jokes
remember that connection can grow slowly
Before-tour reminder: I don’t need to impress the group. I need to meet them.
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Before meeting the group:
check your energy honestly
notice whether you’re grounded or simply shut down
take a few slow breaths
identify where you’ll get support if something goes wrong
avoid starting the tour already running on empty
Before-tour reminder: Staying strong doesn’t mean pretending I don’t need anything.
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Before meeting the group:
slow down
check whether urgency is real or self-created
choose the three most important things the group needs first
leave room for questions
remember that leading people means bringing them with you
Before-tour reminder: I can create momentum without rushing the beginning.
Let’s be honest, as guides, we need a healthy balance of all five guide elements. The reality, though, is that some qualities come more naturally to us than others.
Use these check-ins as a guide. If they help, great. If they don’t, find something that does. The baseline is the same for all of us: arrive grounded, nourished, prepared, happy and genuinely ready for the time ahead.
A Quick Pre-Tour Check-In
Before you welcome the group, ask:
What am I bringing into the room?
What am I likely to overdo?
What might this group need from me first?
Do I need more nourishment, clarity, warmth, steadiness or direction?
Then take a breath, stand up straight and send it!
Treat every day like it might become one of the best days of your life :)
During the Tour
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Take a moment when you can!
On tour, we rarely get a full day off. Let’s be honest, most days we barely get a proper lunch break.
So, we need to make the most of the small moments available to us, whether they’re planned or unexpected.
Take a breath or two before answering a question.
Stretch while everyone is taking photos.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to eat well. Stop and have a proper lunch instead of surviving on crackers over the steering wheel.
Take two quiet minutes after a difficult conversation. Let the guests know you’ll be back, then step away and reset.
Swim under a waterfall or in the ocean. Scream underwater if you need to scream. Otherwise, enjoy the silence down there.
Climb a tree.
Once everything is sorted, tell the guests you’re taking a break. Most people will respect your boundaries when you communicate them clearly.
Really soak up the shower at the end of the day. If you’re camping, enjoy a decent face wash and the feeling of removing at least one layer of dust.
Send a message to someone who knows you outside of guiding. Stay connected to your loved ones. If you don’t have reception, write the message and send it later.
Go to bed before everyone else when you need to. Wake before the group and enjoy the stillness of the morning before it all begins again.
Drink your morning coffee or tea in silence. Taste every mouthful rather than inhaling it while walking, answering messages and searching for the keys.
Journal out all your frustrations. No one ever needs to read them, you can burn them in the campfire - just get them out!
Small resets interrupt the build-up of stress before it becomes exhaustion, irritability or the desire to abandon the bus and begin a new life under a new name.
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When someone is upset, plans change or multiple problems arrive at once, your body can react before your brain has even worked out what’s happening.
You might rush, freeze, talk too much, become snappy or try to fix everything immediately.
Before responding, take one slow breath.
Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, then breathe out for a count of six.
A longer, comfortable exhale can help signal to your body that it’s safe to soften out of high alert.
Cool, hey?
Then ask:
What’s the actual priority?
Does this need care, clarity, calm or a decision?
What does the group need to know right now?
One breath won’t fix the broken bus, but it may help you avoid becoming the second breakdown.
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Before deciding that you’ve lost your love for guiding, humanity and possibly life itself, ask yourself:
Have I eaten enough nourishing food today?
Have I had enough water?
Would some electrolytes help?
Do I need to move my body and shake some tension out?
Have given myself one minute without anyone speaking to me?
Am I actually angry, or am I exhausted?
Sometimes the deep emotional crisis we’re about to have is dehydration.
Other times everyone is really annoying!
It’s worth checking the water bottle first!
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Transitions are actually really useful recovery points.
When guests are checking into rooms, exploring a lookout or taking their 400th photo of the same beautiful thing, take a moment for yourself!
Look around.
Roll your shoulders.
Unclench your jaw.
Remember a bad day guiding is always better than a good day in an office wearing uncomfortable shoes!
Relax your hands.
Take three slow breaths.
What’s done is done. The next part of the day hasn’t started yet.
Learn to let shit go through every layer of your being.
You don’t always need an hours meditation, a surf or a ten-kilometre run (although they’re always welcome when the moment arises!)
Sometimes you just need to acknowledge that you’ve made it to day four!
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A complaint, conflict, medical issue or stressful decision can stay in the body long after the actual problem has been solved.
All the should’ve, could’ve and would’ve thoughts are exhausting.
Once the situation is stable:
write down important facts while they’re fresh; getting them onto paper helps get them out of your head
complete any necessary reporting when you have the time and space
check whether anyone else needs to be informed
take a few slow breaths
shake out your arms and legs
remind yourself that you’ve done what you can
identify what still needs action
let go of what doesn’t
Debriefing is useful but avoid using the guests for this! Avoid using people who don’t understand your job, phone a guide friend!
Endless mental re-enactment is never helpful. If you can’t stop the endless chatter of your mind, find strategies that work for you. Your mind isn’t the boss of you.
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Before collapsing into bed or scrolling until your phone hits you in the face, take a minute to check in.
Ask yourself:
What still needs to be done tonight?
What can wait until tomorrow?
Is there anything important I need to write down or report?
What am I still carrying from today?
Do I need food, water, movement, connection or quiet?
What will help my body understand that the working day is over?
Close the loops, then let the rest wait. I love a Yoga Nidra or a guided meditation to get me to sleep.
Tomorrow you will cope much better after tonight’s you gets some sleep!
You don’t necessarily need to identify which guide element has gone wonky. Just be honest with yourself and notice what’s been overdone or what’s missing. The more you get to know your unique self, the easier it’ll become to navigate tour guide life (and life in general).
Use the Elements as a prompt, not another thing to get right. Sometimes the answer is deep and meaningful, other times it’s a healthy lunch and five minutes with no one asking you a question you’ve already answered multiple times!
Take what you need, and chuck the rest in the fuck it bucket (for now … We all need these things at some point if we’re honest with ourselves!)
What feels right for you today?
The Nourisher
If you’re over-giving, emotionally wobbly or quietly hoping someone will ask whether you’re okay, you may need nourishment and care.
Try:
eat something warm, filling and genuinely nourishing
sit down while you eat instead of inhaling food on the run
drink water or make yourself a cup of tea
place one hand on your belly and take five slow breaths
step outside and feel your feet on the ground
write down what you need, not what everyone else needs
send a message to someone who knows how to support you
let a guest solve something they’re perfectly capable of solving themselves
Your reset reminder:
You don’t have to earn care by becoming completely depleted.
The Connector
If you feel overstimulated, flat, strangely lonely or completely uninterested in another conversation, you may need to step out of performance mode.
Try:
sit somewhere quiet without reaching for your phone
listen to music that shifts your mood
dance, sing or shake out the day when you have privacy
message or call someone who knows you outside of guide life
take a swim and enjoy the silence underwater
ask someone else a question and let yourself simply listen
write down how you’re actually feeling
choose an early night instead of one more drink with the group
enjoy something funny without needing to share it with everyone
Your reset reminder:
You can bring the spark without keeping the whole fire burning by yourself
The Resilient Guide
If your body feels heavy, your motivation has disappeared or everything feels like more effort than it should, you may need quiet and proper restoration.
Try:
sit or lie down somewhere without stimulation
take ten slow, comfortable breaths
close your eyes for five minutes when it’s safe to do so
go to bed earlier than the group
swim, float or stand under a shower
take a slow walk without turning it into exercise
put your phone on Do Not Disturb when appropriate
choose silence instead of more conversation
ask someone else to help with one task
stop telling yourself you’re fine when you’re clearly knackered
Your reset reminder:
Rest before your body takes the decision out of your hands.
The Organiser
If your mind is running through tomorrow’s timings, missing details, room changes and every possible thing that might go wrong, you may not need more thinking.
You may need somewhere to put the thinking.
Try:
write down everything still circling in your head
separate what needs action now from what can wait
check the important details once, then stop checking
tidy one small physical space, such as the front of the vehicle or your guide bag
take five slow breaths with a longer exhale
listen to calm music while finishing simple admin
close the laptop or notebook when the necessary work is done
deliberately let one non-essential thing be good enough
Your reset reminder:
The list can hold the details. Your brain doesn’t need to carry them all night.
The Navigator
When plans are delayed, people are slow or the same issue keeps returning, that energy can become frustration, impatience or the strong desire to herd everyone onto the bus with a cattle prod.
Sitting still may not be the best first step.
You may need movement before calm becomes possible.
Try:
walk quickly for five or ten minutes
stretch your hips, legs, shoulders and back
shake out your whole body
climb a hill, a staircase or even a tree
swim, surf or move through water
put on music and dance out the frustration
write down the next three useful steps
scream underwater, into a pillow or somewhere you won’t alarm the guests
pause before sending the message you wrote while angry
focus on the next decision rather than solving the whole week tonight
Your reset reminder:
Move the frustration through your body before you move it towards another person.
After the Tour
Recover With the Time You Actually Have
The end of a tour doesn’t always come with a two day weekend or a peaceful week beside the ocean or in the mountains.
Sometimes you meet the next group the following morning. Sometimes you have a day or two off. Sometimes you have a week, a fortnight or the end of an entire season to recover.
Use the time you have wisely and don't let your entire break be preparation for the next tour. But also, don’t run yourself to the ground!
If your tours are back-to-back
Focus on the essentials:
tick all the end of tour boxes you need to (finances, reports, vehicle stuff, paper work)
get your personal gear ready for the next trip
take a short break in the best way you know how!
It's not the time to analyse every awkward conversation or completely reinvent the way you guide.
If you have a day or two
Create some separation and you-time between tours.
finish one tour before you start the next!
unpack, clesan, eat well, move your body and get some decent sleep.
Get out of your head and back in to your body. Choose whatever movement helps you feel like yourself again: swim, surf, run, walk, stretch, dance, play guitar, draw or do nothing.
If you have a week, a fortnight or the end of a season
Give yourself time to properly come down from guide mode.
Return to regular food, sleep and movement. Reconnect with your people, pick up the hobbies you’ve neglected and do things that have nothing to do with tourism!
My absolute favourite thing to do is have no plans or commitments!
You may need a few days to remember who you are when nobody needs to know what time breakfast starts!
Reflect on what was, then consciously leave the tour.
Close the loops. Fill your cup. Find your feet. Then head towards whatever adventure comes next.