How to overcome travel anxiety according to experts
10th Apr 2024 Travel Guides
2 min read
Stress and anxiety around documents and procedures of travel is common. Here are some tips from experts on how to overcome travel anxiety and enjoy your holiday or trip
Making sure
you have checked in for your flight, checking to see if you have your password
with you, ensuring you don’t forget the lights on before you leave… travelling
can certainly cause a lot of stress, which can take different forms for
different people. But there are ways to help reduce that stress, so that you
can enjoy your trip to the fullest.
With travel
season upon us, the experts at HAYPP wanted
to help those struggling with travel anxiety by providing helpful tips
on how to best overcome it.
Expert shares five helpful ways to overcome
travel anxiety.
1. Understand where your anxiety originates
To be able
to best cope with your travel anxiety, you need to have a good understanding of
the things that actually cause it. Pinpoint specifically what is making you
feel anxious about your trip—is it that you’ll be on the road for hours, that
there would be things out of your control, that you would have to be surrounded
by a lot of people at an airport?
"Once you understand what triggers your anxiety, you can plan ahead and for the best ways to handle it"
Once you understand what triggers your
anxiety, you can ensure to plan ahead for the best ways to handle those
triggers.
2. Plan out your trip in as much detail as possible
One of the
reasons for experiencing anxiety when travelling is that you’re being taken out
of your comfort zone and won’t have full control over everything. To help ease
that anxious feeling, try to plan out your trip in as much detail as possible.
Write down an itinerary, either on paper, or you can make use of a trip planner
app like TripIt, Wanderlog or Sygic Travel, for every day that you can follow. That will give you a sense of control, but it’s equally as important to think
of alternative plans of action for anything that could potentially not go as
planned, so that you’re prepared.
3. Make use of different relaxation techniques
Deep
breathing by taking long breaths through the nose and then exhaling slowly
through the mouth is a technique proven to help reduce any feelings of stress.
Another useful way to calm your mind is by meditating, which can take many
different forms from listening to music to focusing on your breath.
"When the time for travelling comes you can use mindfulness techniques to set your mind at ease"
To make
sure you find the mindfulness technique that works best for you, try out a few
different ones before your trip, so when the time for travelling comes you can
use the most efficient one to set your mind at ease.
4. Have with you things that bring you joy
Things that bring you joy, like a book to read, can help with travel anxiety. Credit: Marlene Leppanen
Having
things with you that generally bring you joy can be extremely useful in
distracting you from your negative feelings. These can include physical items
like a journal in which to write your thoughts, a book to read, or a game to
occupy your attention.
Alternatively, you can create a playlist of songs you
love or make sure you have your favourite TV show (or film) with you, as these
will keep your mind occupied, decreasing your feelings of anxiety.
5. Don't forget your physical health
Being
physically active is a great way to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. Even
if it’s just a long walk, make sure to incorporate physical activity in your
days, especially the days leading up to your trip and if possible, during the
trip as well.
"Make sure to incorporate physical activity in the days leading up to your trip"
Spending some time outside and connecting with nature, be it only
by visiting a park, can have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing, which in turn will help reduce your anxious thoughts.
Banner: Travel anxiety can be overcome with planning and self-care. Credit: Ketut Subiyanto
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