If the idea of travel leaves you feeling nervous or even sick, there’s a good chance you have travel anxiety. This is a condition that many people have, and it’s severity varies from person to person. It can be caused by a plethora of different reasons which can range from being disabled to a fear of flying. This is why it’s such a complex and often misunderstood condition. Some people find that their fear of travelling is so crippling that they avoid it altogether. This is unfortunate, as many sufferers long to see more of the world. To help you overcome your anxiety and to make travelling easier, follow these simple steps.
Get prepared
Feeling unprepared will only add to your feelings of anxiety. So the more preparation you do before you set off, the more relaxed you should begin to feel. There are endless ways you can use to prepare yourself for your upcoming travels. You can create packing lists and itineraries to ensure you have everything you could need on the day. Getting a health check from your doctor can also make you feel more prepared to travel. Even small things such as listen to a particular song or reading your horoscope on the AstroStyle website can help. Whatever preparations you feel that you need to do, give yourself plenty of time to do them to help you remain calm. You should also ask friends and family for continual encouragement to keep you on track too.
Use breathing exercises
Even though you might be the most prepared traveller ever, you may still experience some feelings of anxiety. Whether it’s at the airport or when you reach your accommodation, your anxiety can affect your breathing. This can lead to lightheadedness and nausea and cause you to feel more stressed out. One of the best ways of dealing with these episodes is by practising breathing exercises. These exercises can ease your anxiety and help you regain control over your breathing. Take a look at deep breathing exercises on Youtube and other online sources to get some practice in before you leave.
Push yourself to travel more
This might sound like an odd piece of advice to follow. But it is, in fact, the most important one. Avoiding travelling to new places can, in fact, make your anxiety worse. This is because you are reinforcing your feelings of fear. If you continue to make excuse about why you shouldn’t travel, you won’t find it easier as time goes on. So as difficult as it might seem, try to push yourself to travel more. Invite some friends to go on an adventure with you or ask your partner to plan a trip somewhere exciting. When other people are involved in your travel plans, you may feel less likely to back out. The more you familiarise yourself with the feelings of travel, the easier it will become for you.
So don’t let your travel anxiety stop you from realising your passion for travelling to distant lands. If you still don’t feel like your condition is under control, make an appointment with your doctor.
