Travel anxiety or any sorts of anxiety occur due to fear. Now fear can be in many forms but, specifically, if we talk about traveling, a person could get super anxious when they are in unfamiliar surroundings, traveling with strangers, and many other reasons. The good thing is that just like anything else in life you can definitely overcome travel anxiety.
Having said that, I have listed 15 best tips and ways which can help you to overcome a travel anxiety. Since you are reading this, I know that you want to explore the world, but your anxiety is preventing you to do so. Don’t worry, you are not alone, just keep reading!Â
So let’s not stretch it more and jump right into our top 15 ways to overcome travel Anxiety. Let’s Go!
Have a Reason to Travel
It is important for you to have a reason to travel. It can be to explore new places, visit the iconic landmarks, experiencing the various cultures, or making new memories. Having a reason to travel will motivate you and will push you to try hard and as a result, your travel anxiety would be subsided.
As soon as you are passionate about traveling, there will be no stopping you. In addition to having a reason to travel, you should also imagine the time and picture yourself at that place where you wanted to travel.
Imagine you have achieved your dreams and have overcome all the forces which resisted you from doing so. What a wonderful feeling that would be. So whenever the idea of cancellation of your traveling plan crosses your mind, remember this advice.
This list of 10 greatest travelers of all time can motivate you to push further.
Plan Your Trip
Having a solid plan is essential to avoid travel anxiety. It is clever from the evidence that if something is easy to do and is well organized, it can have a positive impact on a person’s feelings and emotions. It will not make the person furious nor will it create any sort of anxiety. Therefore, plan well.
You should have a plan like what you will do before your departure. What will you do at the airport or the terminal? How would you spend your time on the airplane or the train or any transportation which you have chosen? What will be your action plan as soon as you reach your destination?
Apart from all this, you should also plan your airline ticket and hotel booking. The point here is to explain to you that, when you have a solid plan, you will just need to follow it and as a result, you would not have to worry much and get more anxious. This planner from Amazon might help you.
Find a Travel Buddy
Travel anxiety and fears fade real quick when you have your loved ones with you. Well, this might not be possible for many to have a travel buddy, but if you have someone with whom you can travel, then it becomes a much easier and more enjoyable experience.
Don’t worry if your friend or a family member is busy and is not able to travel, you can still find a companion. You can travel with your pet and that would be one of the best ways. You will have a feeling that someone is with you, to support you and to company you. If you want to know more about this, I suggest you have a look at my guide about traveling with a pet.
Moreover, you can also look for your travel buddy online, these are the best platform where you can connect with people who are also looking for a travel buddy:
Seek Help From CommunitiesÂ
There are various communities that you can find on social media (such as Facebook groups) and different websites that help people who are suffering from anxieties such as BetterHelp. You can ask them for help, as there will be many members of the community who have suffered and have experienced what you are experiencing now. They can advise you on your travel anxiety issue.
Moreover, seeking help from the communities who deal with such issues would not just help you from getting rid of travel anxiety, but will also help you find a travel partner who may be facing the same issues as you are. So it’s a bonus!
Practice Relaxation to Overcome Travel Anxiety
Travel anxiety is something that can be dealt with easily if you practice relaxation techniques and use those techniques while confronting anxiety when traveling. Firstly, you should meditate. It is the best way to relax your mind and free yourself from stress.
Secondly, you should exercise. Yes, it will keep you distracted, and when your body is healthy, ultimately your mind would be healthy. And when your mind is healthy, you can easily combat travel anxieties and stressful thoughts.
Thirdly, you should take deep breaths. I would advise you to have a look at this video if you want to learn more about the topic:
Take it easy, long, and slow. And then all your anxiety disappears and you are stress-free. Your relaxation techniques would be your weapons to fight against travel anxiety, so practice it well.
By the way, this meditation pillow from Amazon would be of great use while you plan to meditate.
Ask Someone to Take Care of Your House
Sounds like a weird tip that is completely unrelated with travel anxiety, but in reality it is. In fact, this is something that causes travel anxiety for many people. Like, what will happen to my house and belongings when I am away from my home. These thoughts can really spoil your traveling experience and can eventually cause travel anxiety.
The only solution to this is to hire a trusted person to take care of your house or ask anyone who is close to you to take care of your belongings and your house. You can then reward them for taking care of your house.
In case you don’t find someone, you can visit Amazon to buy this defender security for doors to make your house safer.
Take Things to Distract You From Anxiety While on the TripÂ
Another efficient way of reducing travel anxiety is to stay distracted and busy. You can do that by packing lots of stuff which may help you stay distracted. Such as downloading video games, downloading your favorite playlist on your phone, bringing an exciting novel, and anything which you think may help you keep distracted.
The main idea here is to avoid the thoughts which may provoke anxiety. In case you can’t take many books on your trip, you can buy a Kindle reader and download as many books as you want. I have one myself and I can say that it is super convenient.
You can take a look at the different Kindle models here:
After that, you can also have a look at the Kindle Unlimited Reading Subscription Discounted 6M, 12M, 24M pre-paid plans – earn bounty.
Save Money for Unfortunate Moments During Trips
Save money for those unfortunate events which can occur during your trips without you expecting them. In case, you get into a bit of trouble or need something which is really essential but is seriously expensive, saving money would help you in that scenario.
You can get sick or injure yourself or any other unfortunate event that can take place during your trip, which might increase your anxiety levels seriously, and if it involves money, it can then turn into a really bad event. Therefore having a bit more money saved, would be helpful.
Make a Schedule and Stick to It
Having a schedule will not just make you organized but will also help you spend your traveling time more efficiently. Having a schedule will also help you in forming up a routine that will guide you as to what you have to do in your whole day and what places to visit.
Having a schedule will help you reduce anxiety because you know what you are about to do the whole day. Letting your mind wander here and there will only increase your travel anxiety as traveling itself is a bit stressful and having nothing sorted out would aggravate the situation.
This schedule planner from Amazon will be really helpful.
Don’t Focus on Your Negative Thoughts
Listening to your intuition is never a bad thing, but it is the worst thing you can do if you have travel anxiety because your intuition, in that case, is nothing but just unreasonable negative thoughts.
Therefore, the formula to avoid travel anxiety while traveling is to avoid listening to your intuition. You can listen to some catchy music instead of focusing on the bad things – it will definitely help you to overcome your travel anxiety.
So consider buying some great quality headphones such as this from Amazon.
Additionally, if you are worried about your safety during your trip then I will suggest you to have a read this article that covers that topic in specific.
You can also take a look at the following products that can increase your safety during trips:
Write While You Travel to Overcome Travel Anxiety
Telling from my own experience, writing while traveling can be a seriously good way of reducing stress and travel anxiety. This is because you write what you experience, bad or good.
This is a way of expressing oneself. Tell your dear diary what happened with you and how you feel while traveling, sometimes just letting your thoughts out can help you overcome travel anxiety or any anxiety in general.
You can buy this travel journal from Amazon.
Shatter the Comfort Zone
Successful people are those who learn from their mistakes and take a chance. You should take a chance. Go outside, go traveling. You can get rid of the fear of traveling and travel anxiety only when you experience traveling.
If you will stay at home, regretting and being unthankful, remember nothing is going to happen then. Therefore stay strong, and get out of your comfort zone. Face the world, confront your fears and once you do that, believe me, you are a superhero!
Identify the Triggers
It will become much easier to get rid of travel anxiety once, you know and identify what are those elements which trigger it. Sometimes it can be some particular situations and sometimes it can be the food that you are consuming. It is evident that drinking alcohol, having salty and processed food, and consuming too much coffee and sugar can trigger your anxiety levels.
Therefore, especially when traveling, avoid consuming any of the above mentioned.
When traveling, you may end up eating junk food. So to avoid it, consider buying these food containers from Amazon, to pack healthy food with yourself.
Consider Meeting a Therapist
If you think that your anxiety problem is really serious, it is advisable that you should meet a therapist. He\she will really help you to overcome your anxiety problems and they may also prescribe a few medicines.
Also, go to that particular therapist who deals with the type of anxieties that you have got. Remember, don’t be ashamed of who you are.
Think That You Can Always Return Home
Last but not the least, you should always remember, that whenever you want, you can come back home. This thought can be really helpful when having travel anxiety. You should always have this thought that, whenever I am having trouble or I am not feeling really well, I can always go back home.
This thought will keep you at ease and will reduce your travel anxiety although it is advisable to confront your fears and complete your journey. You can do it!
Final Thoughts
Traveling is generally associated with happy and joyful moments, but sometimes it really can be the opposite. In fact, many people experience travel anxiety, what’s more, I have experienced that myself.
However, if there’s one thing that I learned is that it’s all about doing things even when they seem scary to us. That is what makes us stronger than we used to be before. Keep that in mind!
Finally, if you are experiencing anxiety because your trip takes place during COVID 19 pandemic then I would suggest you have a look at this article. It covers everything you need to know about traveling during COVID 19 pandemic so it will definitely help you to overcome your travel anxiety if it is related to that. Best of luck!
FOLLOW US ON:
