What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you feel like taking a break from your dull and monotonous life? If you’re like most people, your first instinct would be to start planning a holiday. It’s the best ideal way to relax and experience new things.
But when you’ve got an anxiety disorder, traveling can be counter-productive. This is because the stress and uncertainty of traveling to an unfamiliar place can exacerbate your symptoms.
While traveling with your friends and family member can provide some comfort, it may not always be practical. Moreover, travel could be a necessity for your academic or professional commitment. And anxiety shouldn’t be the thing that stops you from exploring the world.
If you start feeling the nerves and jitters every time you plan to travel, here’s some good news for you. Proper planning and support can go a long way to help you control and manage anxiety in unfamiliar places.
In this blog, we’ll discuss a few simple tips to help you overcome travel anxiety and enjoy a refreshing vacation. Let’s get started.
1. Plan to The T
Part of the reason your anxiety might aggravate before and during travel is because you feel a sense of loss of control. What if the hotel you’ve booked turns out to be disappointing and you need to look for alternate accommodation? What if you fall ill during the trip? What if your return flight gets delayed or canceled?
Traveling, with an anxiety disorder, can quickly spiral into an unending series of “what ifs”.
The best way to manage this situation is to plan everything in advance. From your airport/hotel transfers to where you’re going to eat – it’s a good idea to check all the details before you start the journey.
Also, make sure you design a tentative itinerary to keep yourself busy during the first few days. Devise a strategy to deal with an anxiety attack, if you happen to get one while you’re outside.
Likewise, it’s important to make proper arrangements for your home while you’re away. If you’ve got pets, check if a friend would like to keep them at their home for a few days. Or you could ask a neighbor to drop in once a day to feed your pet and water your plants.
Knowing how things are supposed to turn out during the trip will give you a sense of control and ease your anxiety.
2. Seek Help From A Psychic
Talking to a psychic reader or fortune teller isn’t the most natural thought that’ll occur to you when you’re experiencing travel anxiety. Also, a psychic won’t tell you whether something is going to go wrong during the trip.
But if you speak with a fortune teller or psychic, they’ll help you get a firm grasp of the situation and understand the root cause of your anxiety. They can identify and resolve any unpleasant experience from your past that could be affecting your mental health.
Also, a psychic will handhold you through the mixed emotions you’ve developed towards the idea of traveling. They can even suggest alternative therapies and meditations to help you stay calm and relaxed during the trip.
3. Maintain a Daily Routine
Of course, you can’t stick to your routine the way you’d do it while you’re at work or home. But following a daily routine will help create a semblance of structure and make you feel you’re in control of the situation.
For instance, waking up at the same time every day and going out for a morning walk irrespective of where you are will relieve the discomfort and unfamiliarity of new places. Likewise, you could try practicing a bedtime ritual, such as mindfulness meditation or deep breathing.
4. Talk to Your Therapist
If you’ve got an anxiety disorder and are contemplating meeting a therapist, it’s about time you take action. A trained therapist will help you identify and deal with potential triggers. Also, they’ll suggest if you need any medication, such as benzodiazepines, to relieve your symptoms.
Or they can refer you to a psychiatrist who’ll prescribe suitable medication for you. If you’re already taking any medication for anxiety, make sure you carry sufficient stock for the entire trip.
5. Keep Distractions Handy
One of the most effective ways of keeping anxiety at bay is to keep yourself busy with other distractions. From board games and quizzes to movies and podcasts – there are various ways to distract your mind while you’re traveling. Analyze what form of distraction works for you and keep it at your disposal throughout the trip.
Have you used any other tips to overcome travel anxiety? Share your suggestions in the comments section below.
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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