With the world opening back up it seems everyone is itching to get back out and travel – and why not! We’ve been confined for way too long and it’s time to get back out and explore again. But what if travel anxiety gets in the way of your relaxing holiday?
With the media full of footage of chaos at airports and stations, threats of strike action and admin delays at the passport office, it can be hard to get away without filling up your stress bucket. So, let’s have a look at what you can do to manage your travel anxiety!
What is travel anxiety?
Travel anxiety is rooted in the fear of the unknown. If you’re going to a new place, you are really going into the unknown. You have an idea of what the airport or trains will be like, but what if something goes wrong? You can easily negatively forecast the future because nothing is really definite.
It’s really important to remember here that your mind doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality. Your mind now assumes that all the negatives you’ve thought of have actually happened.
You’ll also get obsessed with those negative thoughts and you can’t stop thinking about them… you’re in the survival response of being vigilant. This constant ruminating on the negatives is what fills up your stress bucket and turns a relaxing holiday into the exact opposite.
How to manage your travel anxiety
1. Be organised
We’ve all checked our passports and tickets 200 times before we go, but this is only because we are stressing out and not being present. If being organised means you start packing your case one week before you’re due to go away, then so be it.
Taking your time in this way stops your stress levels from rising out of control. Whenever you think of that tiny little thing you want to take with you, pack it there and then. Have all your tickets, passport and paperwork in one file and make it easily accessible.
Make managing your luggage easier for yourself. I’ve often seen people with three different cases of varying sizes, two travel bags, a backpack and a couple of carrier bags as well! Investing in strong cases and an over-the-shoulder bag or backpack will ensure your hands are free (extremely important if you’ve got to herd little people!)
2. Plan for certain scenarios
I don’t want you to overdo and plan for everything negative that could happen, but you can be a little cautious and find that it reduces your anxiety.
For example, if you’re concerned about running out of money, have an emergency international credit card. If you’re concerned about getting sick while away, make sure your travel insurance covers this. There are lots of little things you can put into place to help you feel more secure.
But again, don’t overdo it so as not to trigger your travel anxiety and fill up your stress bucket.
3. Take plenty of distractions
There may be delays and long boring parts of travelling. To keep yourself from worrying too much, take something you enjoy to distract you. For example, your favourite video games or podcast series. Maybe puzzles and card games.
These work well to stave off the negative train of thought. Whether it’s a noisy stimulation you need or a quiet solitary activity, find out what works for you.
I know I’ve sometimes often wished for a delay or long journey if I’ve just bought the latest release from my favourite author!
4. Don’t believe everything you see in the media (or your friends’ scary stories!)
As I write this, the media is full of reports of the current travel chaos. However, a lot of my friends and family who are travelling at the moment have reported absolutely sailing through check-in and security with no delays or bother.
The media needs a bad news story because bad news sells better, right? The reality is rarely as bad as they make out. Be prepared, but don’t obsess over what you’re seeing in the media.
The same applies to all those horror stories you’ve heard from friends and family. Make it clear that you’re trying to manage your own anxiety and hoping for a more pleasant experience for yourself.
5. Be solution-focused
Visualise your journey and your destination in a positive way. Instead of thinking about everything that could go wrong and fuel your travel anxiety, try to imagine it all going really well. This will calm your nerves and even get you excited about your travels.
I know this isn’t easy, and it’s not meant to magic your stress away when things do go wrong. But it can really help in the run-up to your travels when you are preparing yourself.
By staying solution-focused, you will even find that you can face your challenges more objectively if they arise along the way.
6. Do your research
If you’re going somewhere you’ve never been, before don’t just rely on what you’ve heard from your friends or the beautiful pics online. Find out practical things that will help you such as what are the electrical sockets like, is the water safe to drink, is tipping customary and what are the local emergency numbers.
Local tourist offices and hotel staff will be happy to help as well, so you don’t need to over-plan everything. Remember your destination is likely to have had tourists before – they’ll look after you.
So, I hope this helps you manage your travel anxiety and enjoy your travels. I’m also feeling anxious about travelling again after the past few years of being more confined than ever. But the joy and value that travel brings far outweigh any hesitation I have about going.
Bon Voyage!