Many people feel anxious before travelling to a new or an unfamiliar place. Whether you are scared of flying or stressed about packing for your trip, there are certain ways to deal with travel anxiety.
Travel anxiety can be serious for many people, stopping them from enjoying vacation normally. Let's learn some of the common symptoms and causes of anxiety about travelling, and ways how to overcome it.
Do you have Anxiety Symptoms?
In the case of an anxiety disorder, the feeling of fear may be with you all the time. It is intense and sometimes debilitating.
This type of anxiety may cause you to stop doing things you enjoy.
If you have travel anxiety, you will experience the below symptoms before travelling or while travelling, it includes:
increased heart rate
rapid breathing
restlessness
trouble concentrating
difficulty falling asleep
Well, the travel anxiety symptoms are different for everyone. If these symptoms are not acknowledged and treated on time, it can lead to a panic attack, which is a feeling of overwhelming apprehension, distress, or fear.
Why do we feel travel anxiety?
A bad travel experience is one of the main cause of such anxiety. In research, it is found that 65% of people who have experienced any major vehicle accident have travel anxiety. Anxiety disorder could also be caused due to a biological risk factor.
In some people, simply hearing or talking about negative travel experiences can produce anxiety. Whereas some people get anxiety in a unfamiliar place, that can lead to a panic attack, leading to anxiety for travelling.
Tips to deal with panic disorder or anxiety while travelling:
1. Identify the source of travel anxiety: It is important to identify the reason that is triggering anxiety. It can be different for each person, but many triggers are common among people with these conditions. Most people have multiple triggers. Also, for some people, anxiety attacks can be triggered for no reason at all. According to Calm Clinic, ‘probably the number one issue with travel anxiety is a fear of flying.’ This is due to several factors, ranging from lack of control to changes in air pressure and turbulence. It makes sense that such fears worsen your pre-travel anxiety. Just know that you’re not alone, many people face a similar kind of issue.
2. Plan everything in advance: Usually, anxiety is caused when people overthink about every negative scenario. It's better to plan everything in advance and not letting anything due to the last minute. Packing at the last minute is a big NO. Leaving anything to the last minute is a great way to feel stressed out, don’t let the task of packing bags loom over you – just get it done. That way, if you want to add anything or take anything out you’ve got enough time. It is better than rushing around trying to pack an hour before you leave for the airport.
3. Research about your destination: Read reviews about the place where you are heading, reading other traveller's reviews on trusted platforms like Tripadvisor, will help in trusting the location. Even bad reviews will help you in understanding what-to-do and what not-to-do. Book your hotel in advance, so you know exactly where you’re going when you stay. Just in case, if you are still unable to feel at ease, note down emergency service numbers as a precaution.
4. Practice relaxation, to cope with pre-travel anxiety: Learn relaxation techniques before you leave and use them while you’re on your trip. Breathing deeply and relaxing your muscles is the basic way to deal with anxiety. Even if you don’t normally experience anxiety, practising a bit of self-care will be helpful.
In the weeks leading up to your trip, it is a great way to avoid any anxiety triggers and feel cool, calm and collected before you leave. Make time to stretch, eat healthy food, get plenty of sleep, drink water and indulging in activities that you enjoy.
5. Tell flight attendants: As I earlier mentioned that the fear of flying is one of the most common phobias. The airline staff are used to dealing with such fears, so let the flight attendants know that you’re feeling anxious, and if you’re travelling with friends or family, let them know too.
Sometimes knowing that someone is there to help can help ease the symptoms of anxiety. If you have anxiety about travelling alone, bring a travel partner.
6. Find positive reasons to travel: If you have travel anxiety, you may find yourself unable to engage or enjoy travelling. It is important to have mindful preparation before a trip, which can help reduce your negative emotions about travelling.
During a trip, various methods such as mindfulness, distractions, and even medication are options available to reduce anxiety. Find reasons why you want to travel or why you love travelling, and don't let anxiety stop you from travelling.
Comments