Visiting unfamiliar places and the stress of making successful travel plans can lead to travel anxiety. It certainly impacts our health, and travel anxiety can stop you from visiting new places, making travel plans, and enjoying the beautiful aspects of vacations.
You may be excited about breaking your daily routine and going for an exceptionally rejuvenating and rewarding journey on the beach or mountains. Let’s say you want to explore the best treks in India, for this, you will first have to check the trekking packages India to know the real deal, and to make sure that you are opting for affordable India trekking tours cost. What you should remember is that there is no escape from those inevitable hassles that comes with the perks – a chaotic train journey, time-consuming language barriers, flight delays, and worries about the attached obligations that you are leaving behind. The list is innumerable.
When you think about all these hassles, travel plans seem to boost stress. According to a psychology professor, two situations can cause anxiety. One is fear of the unknown, and second is the situation that is out of our control. Symptoms of anxiety can differ for everyone if your anxiety is related to travel;
You may experience some of these symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Difficulty in breathing
- Rapid heart rate
- Restlessness
- Nausea or Diarrhoea
- Trouble sleeping or Insomnia
- Lack of concentration
If these symptoms become profuse, they can trigger a panic attack. During a panic attack, you may feel sweating, racing heart, and shivering. You may feel weak and dizzy. To avoid making your traveling experience less stressful, here are some of the useful tips and tricks that you can follow to curb travel anxiety.
Keep reading to make your travel plans more successful!
Identify the triggers
The most important thing is to accept and identify the issue. Anxiety triggers can intensify symptoms. You may feel these triggers specifically while planning for a trip or heading towards the airport. These symptoms may influence because of other aspects such as caffeine, low blood sugar, or stress. You may go for psychotherapy to recognize your problem and work through them before traveling. A little practical planning will help you avoid anxiety-provoking scenarios.
Accept the fact that a perfect travel plan doesn’t exist
As soon as you accept that anxiety is an essential part of traveling, and that the myth of ‘perfect planning’ doesn’t exist since you cannot predict the future. Let’s accept that you may not be completely stress-free during your trip, but what you can do is – be more careful. There are lots of things that can go wrong when you travel like; losing your luggage, facing flight delays, or similar situations are not uncommon events.
Some simple thoughts about things might not always be positive and can ramp up your anxiety levels. Instead of letting these triggers affect you, use it to focus on areas where you have control. This approach can help you deal with anything that might not go according to your plan. The thought process will also help you offload the stress when something goes wrong, and you’re ready with the ideas instead of panicking in the situation.
Plan the trip with a travel buddy
A few people feel content while traveling with their loved ones. If you are an amateur traveler, and if it’s feasible for you, then avoid traveling alone. Try to plan a trip with a family member or your most reliable friend. Make sure your travel partner is aware of your worries and anxiety. You may take help from your loved ones while coping with anxiety because they are the ones who can make you feel safe and secure. Sometimes, having a special person in your life is all that you need to enjoy a more relaxing trip.
Don’t let your fears stop you from having fun
The first step of having fun is to get going. You might be at the edge of canceling the trip because of the fear of unfamiliar surroundings, but don’t let your self-doubts hold you back from having fun on the trip. Face your worries and fears to get out of your comfort zone if you would like to overcome the fear of the unknown. Be fearless, and enjoy the process than being afraid of it! You will feel much better about yourself when accepting your weaknesses because that is when the transformation begins.
Be self-aware
Pay close attention to your behavior and how you react in certain situations. Think about your habits and reasons behind certain situations, and what motivates you to do that. Become more self-aware with the practices of Yoga and Meditation. Listen to your intuitions and start giving it more credit. Discuss your likes and dislikes if you want to set your boundaries when it comes to potential changes and compromising. Be mindful of your needs, emotions, and desires. Being self-aware can help you get in tune with yourself, and your surroundings. You’ll feel content in every moment instead of dreading over things that you can’t control.
Try maintaining a healthy lifestyle
Get plenty of sleep, follow a healthy diet, and drink a good amount of water in your daily life. A good routine helps to cut down on your anxiety issues more naturally. While engaging in drug-related habits may increase these patterns of anxiety. It is also suggested to avoid caffeine because it increases your heart rate. Other than that, limiting alcohol keeps you healthy and lets you stay self-aware. So, stick to your exercise routine, a healthy lifestyle, and Yoga to help you cope up with anxiety and stress. Regular practice of yoga and a healthy lifestyle help you get rid of travel anxiety. All you have to do is give 20 minutes daily to the rejuvenating practice of yoga to feel fresh and energetic throughout the day.
Some useful tips while traveling
Deep breath
When we get anxious, our heart rate increases, and we start panting. It’s important to keep your breathing calm. So, what you can do is, take deep breaths, hold, and release. Try to breathe in from nostrils for the first 5 seconds and breathe out from the mouth slowly.
Imagine
Visualizing yourself in a safe and comfortable place while traveling can be a good antidote to anxiety.
Distract
Instead of panicking over small details like imagining a plane is going to crash, you can distract yourself by watching a movie or rereading your favorite novel.
Call for help
No matter where your loved ones are, with you or on a phone call. Supportive friends and family will always calm you in situations of panic and anxiety attacks.
Take a break
If you are feeling restless because of crowd or culture shock, take a moment, and don’t be afraid to call it a timeout. Visit a spa or relax in your hotel room, after all, self-care is always a great way to recharge your energy!
