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The fear of going to an unknown place, riding on an airplane, or the stress of packing is way more common than you think. In fact, 40 million Americans 18 years and older are affected by anxiety disorders. Although travel anxiety is not officially a diagnosed health condition, many people across the world suffer from travel related anxieties. This crippling anxiety can even prevent people from traveling altogether or enjoying any aspect of a trip.
Coping with travel anxiety, especially for those who really want to travel, can be extremely difficult. I’ll be the first to admit, I am no doctor, but I can relate. I myself suffered with travel anxiety through many of my teenage years. Learning some important tips for coping with travel anxiety really helped me break out of my shell and embrace the uncomfortable. Take it from me, it may not be easy to face these fears head on, but I promise it’ll be worth it.
Table of Contents
Take Baby Steps
Taking baby steps can be a great way to ease into travel without completely turning yourself off from it. For example, if you are afraid of flying, start small. Instead of throwing yourself onto a 21 hour flight halfway across the world, maybe try a 1-2 hour flight to start.
Once you start doing these smaller steps to cope with your travel anxiety, you’ll slowly start to feel more comfortable, and can extend the length of your trips, and start taking slightly bigger strides.
Plan, Plan, Plan
Planning in advance can help take many different stresses out of travel.
Here are some of my suggestions for things you should plan to help cope with your travel anxiety:
- Make a packing list so you know everything you will need.
- Do research on the hotels you are staying at. (Look at reviews, location, and photos.)
- When traveling to a different country, learn key phrases of the language.
- Have an itinerary.
- Make copies and print important documents.
Use these travel resources for easy planning!
All of these things will help make you feel more comfortable and at ease so you don’t have the added stress of not knowing where you’re staying for the night or forgetting an essential product you will need. Planning will never hurt.
Know WHAT makes you anxious
In order to make any progress, you have to know exactly WHAT is making you so anxious about travel. Think about it like a car. If your car won’t start and you don’t know why, it’s hard to make any steps towards fixing it.
So if you aren’t sure what’s making you anxious, sit down, make a list, and really think about the WHAT. What is so scary to you and why? Once you know the answer to that question, you’ll be one step closer to fixing the problem and coping with your travel anxiety.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
If you’ve ever felt anxious, you may have noticed an increase in your heart rate or breathing. Getting control over your breathing can help relax both your mind and body.
According to healthline.com, this is the best breathing technique for helping subside anxiousness:
- Sit in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes.
- Put one of your hands on your chest and the other on your stomach.
- Breathe deeply. (Your stomach should move more than your chest with your breaths.)
- Take a slow breath in through your nose and out and out through your mouth.
- Repeat 10 times.
I find it helpful to practice these techniques even when I am not anxious. This way I will feel even more prepared during high stress moments.
Remind Yourself of WHY You Are Traveling
Is it for the experience? Do you want to see a famous landmark? Are you wanting to conquer your fear? Reminding yourself of the why is a great way to remember why it’s worth it to face these fears head on!
When I was facing travel anxiety, I kept reminding myself of the things I wanted to experience in my life. I created my bucketlist, which helped keep these at the forefront of my mind. The last thing I wanted was to allow my fear to keep me from achieving these goals and experiences.
Once I got into the mindset of not letting my anxiety control me, my life changed.
Talk to a Therapist
Taking to someone with expertise in your anxiety is highly recommended. Therapists jobs are to help you overcome or find ways to cope with travel anxiety, so using them can help tremendously. They will be able to offer you suggestions and give you even more tips on coping with travel anxiety. This way you’ll be better prepared going into your next trip and will no longer be crippled by your anxiety.
I suggest visiting a therapist weeks, if not months before traveling so you can start learning and growing. Mental health is serious. Just like training your body, training your mind takes practice!
Travel With a Companion
Traveling with someone you really trust or someone with lots of travel experience can be a game changer for those with travel anxiety. Having some form of comfort and home in new situations is comforting.
Avoid Coffee, Alcohol & Junk Food
Studies show that consuming an excess amount of coffee, alcohol, and sugar can heighten underlying health issues such as anxiety and depression. So avoiding these on high stress days during your travels will be really beneficial for keeping your mind straight. You’ll thank me later.
Distract Yourself During Flights
Mostly for those anxious about flying, think of ways you can distract yourself. Watch a TV show or movie, or listen to a meditation app. Whatever gets your mind off the flight and drowns out any scary sounds is a good distraction.
Buy Travel Insurance
Did you know when you travel internationally, your health insurance doesn’t typically cover costs if you get hurt or need to see a doctor?
Having travel insurance is so important not only for emergency reasons but also for situations such as plane cancellations or lost baggage. If you’re anxious about getting sick or losing money from situations outside of your control, having travel insurance can definitely help give you some peace of mind.
Buy your travel insurance here!
I highly recommend World Nomads for all your travel insurance needs. Their website is super easy to make claims on, and they have customized plans that will work for whatever you need!
Pick the Right Destination
For many, travel anxiety can be even more extreme when outside of their comfort zone. Even though I am a huge proponent for facing your fears and getting out of your comfort zone, I think when tackling your travel anxiety it’s smart to start small when leaving your comfort zone. In other words, If you aren’t sure how to swim, don’t throw yourself in the deep end of the pool!
If not being able to speak the language or a long flight is keeping you up at night with worry, pick a destination where they speak the same language or that has a shorter flight.
When I first battled travel anxiety, I went to England. It was still overwhelming for me, but once I got my bearings, I eventually felt comfortable traveling next to France and eventually to Thailand.
Stay Hydrated
If you want to be in the right mindset when tackling your fears and facing your anxiety, keep hydrated. Not only does traveling tend to dehydrate, but water is also proven to have natural calming properties. A 2018 study showed adults who drank more water had a lower risk of anxiety and depression.
Drinking plenty of water can keep you healthier during your travels, and therefore you’ll be more ready to tackle your anxiety head on!
Leave Your Comfort Zone
It’s important to be willing to leave your comfort zone a bit, even if it scares you. If I learned anything about dealing with my own travel anxiety, it was that exposing myself to my fears was the most successful way to help cope with travel anxiety.
Exposure therapy has been scientifically proven to be a successful treatment for a range of phobias and anxieties. It was developed to help people confront their fears instead of avoiding them, which in term makes them less scary in the long run.
If you find that almost everything is scary to you, spend time researching it. Once you have a little more knowledge and familiarity on a subject, it won’t be as scary to tackle it head on.
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Listen, travel anxiety is no joke. But I have grown so much by traveling and I am so glad I faced my anxiety and didn’t let it control my life.
I hope these important tips for coping with travel anxiety can really help you tackle yours head on and help you maximize your life and encourage you to travel more. It will never be easy face these fears head on, but if you do the work, I promise it’ll be worth it.
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