Travel anxiety can really take from your experience of exploring the world! If you’re looking for some travel anxiety tips then stick around!
In this post, you’ll find so many things that you can do before and during your holiday that will help you with your anxiety!
From meditation to exercise and journaling, these are methods that I’ve used during my trips in order to soothe my anxiety and have the best time!
DISCLAIMER: These tips are things that I’ve tried over the years while traveling and should not be considered professional medical advice. If you do need help don’t hesitate to seek out a doctor or someone qualified.
Quick Picks for Your Stay
Check out below, our 3 favorite tips to help with travel anxiety:
- Physical movement
- Meditation & Breathwork
- Journaling
1. Move your body (with yoga & fitness)
What better way to ground yourself in the present moment than to climb down from the mind tower into the temple of our bodies?
Sometimes we’re way too much in our heads, especially on a trip where we have to plan, think and decide where to go next. One of my favorite remedies for this is to move my body!
Whether it’s practicing some yoga (any type), fitness, or even stretching the body, this can help a lot with your anxiety. I know for me, it improves my mood, I become way calmer and my mind stops racing and moving around like a monkey.
I always try to practice yoga a day before I have my flight if I can, and once I arrive at my accommodation, I find a little spot where I can do a short routine! If I don’t have the time, then I’ll do something simple and short. But if I’m staying for a longer period then I would do my full practice.
You can even do small little sequences while waiting to board the plane or between connecting flights (although you might get a few weird looks). This is especially great if you suffer from flight anxiety.
You can find your own way by moving your body to ease anxiety. And if you don’t usually practice anything at home, you can check on YouTube, as there are lots of videos with some yoga sequences, or even do something you remember from class. The sun salutation sequence is a great way to connect with yourself and warm up your body.
Just remember that you’re doing this to ground more and not to build muscle in just 10 min. So you can keep it simple and just do it with the intention of paying attention to what’s happening inside of your body, not your mind!
2. Listen to calming music
Music has saved me so many times when I felt anxious on holiday! So, whatever you do, don’t forget your headphones!
Now, everyone has such different tastes when it comes to music that calms us down. For me, it’s usually mantras, hertz, classical music, folk and usually music that you’d play while meditating or practicing yoga. But I’m sure each and every one of you prefers something different.
So my invitation is to find those tunes that work for you and that calm your nervous system. Then make yourself a traveling playlist (make sure to download it, so you can play it without internet) that you can listen to any time you feel those anxious thoughts or mood creeping in.
That playlist can work like a charm and improve your state of being so much!
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3. Try out sensory snacks
Sensory snacks are different ways to tap into your senses and ground yourself. They are a great way to help you regulate your nervous system by putting your attention on something else.
They can vary but here are some of the main ones that you can try:
- Sipping/Sucking/Chewing (using your mouth can help calm your anxiety, and you can try drinking from a spouted bottle, chewing gum or something crunchy or sucking sweets)
- Moving your body
- Fiddle (using your hands and keeping them busy can also help, you can use a fidget spinner, fidget cube craze, stress ball, elastic bands and anything else that works for you)
- Joint compression (this can also alleviate anxiety by calming your body and you can try doing things like press-ups on your chair or against a wall or placing pressure on your head with your hands)
You can learn more about sensory regulation strategies, on Kathryn’s Art of Anxiety blog!
4. Learn breathing techniques
Breathwork has been around for a really long time but in the last few years, it has become super popular as a tool to help with anxiety, depression and our daily life struggles.
From experience, I can say that breathwork and even just breathing more consciously, has helped me a lot when I was feeling anxious while traveling. Just like the yoga postures, breath can really calm and regulate your nervous system. Alternate nostril breathing is one of the best ways to regulate your nervous system if your anxiety is high.
If you’ve never tried breathwork before, you can use some apps that can sort of guide you. Some of the ones that I tried are the Breathing App which I found super easy to use and Owaken Breathwork which has different classes (lots for beginners) taught by its founders, which I really loved!
You can also learn on your own, go to a teacher or look for some simple breathing techniques online. Then you can practice a bit, at home, before your trip so you can get the hang of it.
I try to do some breathing work, either on the plane (when I’m sitting next to someone that I know, so that I feel safe), bus (if the journey is long) and once I get to my accommodation, I try doing it early before I leave the house, to go explore, or at night.
But usually, I think when you start your day with this (if you can and have the time) it can improve your mood a lot and it also anchors you in the present and into your body! That’s what I noticed with me and also those around me.
5. Try medication (prescription or natural)
Oftentimes we need extra and immediate help from a source that we know for sure will work to calm our anxiety!
If you have a doctor you can get something on prescription that will help soothe your anxiety while traveling, if not you can also try some natural remedies like chamomile, magnesium, CBD, valerian, theanine and Ashwagandha.
6. Planning in advance
One of the big factors contributing to anxiety while you’re on holiday is not feeling safe or fear of the unknown.
A way that you can work with this is by planning in advance, what you’re going to do when you arrive in the new place, or even while you’re on the way there.
Here are some things you can plan in advance:
- How to get to the hotel from the airport
- Things to do in the airport/bus/train/car/boat if anxiety kicks in
- What you’ll do each day (from which attractions you’ll see, to finding restaurants, bars, and parks)
- How to get from one city to the next (if you’re visiting multiple places)
- How to calm your nervous system while you’re at the hotel (or on the go)
These are just some ideas, they can differ depending on where you’re going. My only advice with this, is to do the planning in advance, but remain flexible because things can shift and easily change.
Life is unpredictable and that doesn’t change while you’re on holiday. So try to remain present with whatever arises and know that you can always ask for help!
7. Journaling
Sometimes we have so many thoughts in our heads that we can feel as if it’ll explode!
Something that I’ve been using a lot in the past years while traveling (and in my daily routine) is journaling. It has been shown that writing things down on paper can help us emotionally process what we may be going through.
So bringing a journal with you and writing whatever comes to your head from thoughts, emotions, feelings, can really help with your anxiety! You’ll really feel as if your thoughts are flowing on a river, rather than being stuck in your head.
If you find journaling hard, you can get one of those journals that have prompts, that can sort of get you started. Or you can look for some journal prompts online.
Here are some that I came up with for myself, when I feel anxious:
- What does the part of me that feels anxious need?
- How can I accommodate that part, and offer it what it needs?
- How can I show myself compassion?
- Do I feel safe? If not, what are the factors that make me feel unsafe?
8. Meditate
I know it may sound like a cliche but meditation really changed and improved my life considerably!
Although at first, it seems like the hardest thing to do, in time you’ll get to enjoy its ripe fruits and it will help a lot with your travel anxiety!
If you’re new to meditation, don’t worry! There are so many apps that you can try, and also you can always play out music while meditating. I usually use hertz, tibetan bowl sounds, mantras and usually music that is tranquil and peaceful. You can find lots of playlists on YouTube and Spotify.
Some people like nature sounds, like ocean waves, rain, forest sounds, so you can give those a go.
Alternatively, you can also use meditation apps. These can be great, as there’s someone guiding you which will help if you find you’re having too many thoughts. Some apps that I like are the Triple Flame app, Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Meditations and Owaken Breathwork.
When I’m traveling I try to meditate whenever I can, even if it’s just for 5 to 10 min. I do it while I’m on the plane, bus, train, and when I get to the hotel. This helps so much with my mood! It really grounds me, it brings a sense of peace in those moments when I feel scattered a lot.
Also when you’re in super crowded places, the atmosphere can get pretty intense, so having these moments of going inwards, really helps me to detach from anything that I might be picking up from my surroundings.
9. Have a healthy diet
This is more of a preventive tip but also to be applied while on holiday! What we put inside our bodies can affect our moods so much!
For example, if you eat only foods that cause inflammation, you’ll probably get irritated much more easily. Or if you don’t eat something nourishing you might feel like you have no energy. All these can be factors of your anxiety.
I know they are with me and if I don’t take proper care of what I’m eating I’ll easily get into an anxious state on my travels!
Everyone has a definition of what a healthy diet is. So my advice would be to just avoid junk and processed foods.
10. Travel with a friend/partner/family
Traveling with a buddy (especially someone close) can really help us with our anxiety!
Firstly, you’ll feel much safer, from the beginning, as you’ll know that no matter what, you’ve got someone that you know around! Then if your anxiety gets heightened you can go to them and maybe have some pre-established tips on how they can accommodate or help you.
For example, they can do something to distract you, ask you certain questions that can help you calm down, or just be there and hold space for you as you’re feeling all your feelings.
The ways can differ from person to person but definitely let them know in advance (if they don’t know) that you are dealing with anxiety so that you won’t take them by surprise.
However, just because you struggle with anxiety, doesn’t mean you have to have someone around. A few members of the Miss Tourist team struggle with travel anxiety and don’t let it stop them from traveling alone.
11. Reading
Do we have any avid readers among us?
Here, at Miss Tourist, we take reading very seriously (check our post with the best travel books that inspire wanderlust) and we’re all fans of books as a way to help travel anxiety.
Although Kindle can be great while you’re on a trip, as it doesn’t take much space, I love the good old books that you can physically hold in your hands. I think there’s something about the textures and also just feeling the weight of the book in my hands.
Reading can sometimes put you in a sort of meditative state, where your focus is solely on one thing (at least that’s how I feel) and I think that can really help with keeping anxiety at bay!
12. Watching a movie/podcast/TV series
If you’re looking for a way to distract yourself from all the business around you while you’re traveling (which can sometimes trigger your anxiety) then watching something on your phone/tablet/laptop can really help!
To be sure you have this option, I’d recommend downloading whatever you’re watching at home, so that you don’t depend on Wi-Fi or waste all your data. And if you have a comfort show, definitely make sure you have that downloaded. I usually watch something that makes me feel super cozy like Gilmore Girls or Outlander!
Watching a movie or podcast, really helps me get into a zone where I’m not really paying attention to what’s around me, so my mind isn’t stimulated by the noise or crying baby or someone yelling which let’s face it, can send you over the edge, especially if you’re naturally really attuned to your environment.
13. Identify anxiety triggers before your trip
A great way to go about this, is to do an inventory of your previous trips and the things that triggered your anxiety during that trip.
I’ve started doing this recently and it opened a whole new reality for me, and I got to look at my anxiety triggers from a different perspective.
You can get a piece of paper or your journal and start dotting down things like:
- Where you were when you started feeling anxious and the atmosphere there
- Any stress factors (chattering in the background, certain sounds or smells)
- What you were doing when the anxiety started
- How long you felt anxious
- Actions you took that ended the anxiety episode
The point is to play the detective and find things that will help you in the future! You can totally change the prompts to suit your story and experience with travel anxiety, or use these to get you started.
14. Go to places where you feel safe
Not feeling safe triggers a lot of anxiety for me and it makes traveling super hard and just not pleasant at all.
That’s why I always read about the places I’m going to and check for different opinions from people who’ve been there to see if it’s safe.
I’d recommend doing a bit of research before you buy tickets and plan everything out, just to check that everything is okay wherever you’re going.
15. Ask for help
I know asking for help isn’t always easy, but this can help you immensely!
Whether it’s a friend, professional (therapist), relatives or anyone who you feel you can talk to freely, they can really help you by being there for you.
Talking to someone can be very therapeutic and it can help us get out of our heads and feel super supported which we need so much when going through anxiety. Also, they may have ideas and give you some advice that could help you feel better.
So wherever you are, pick up the phone or talk to the friend, partner, family member who’s traveling with you and tell them that you’re feeling anxious and need someone to talk to! I’m sure they’ll be happy to assist you.
16. Use essential oils, palo santo & pleasant smells
Using scent is one of my favorite ways to calm my nervous system, whenever I’m feeling anxious (but I also use it in other situations as well!).
Smell is super powerful and there are certain scents that really help you to calm down. If you want to try this out, I recommend finding the right scents for you.
You can get these scents from:
- Essential oils (lavender, chamomile, jasmine, rose are some of my favorites)
- Smudging Palo Santo, herbs, sage
- Burning on charcoal some resin (frankincense, myrrh)
- Smelling a plant
There are lots more, so definitely do a bit of research and see what you like!
17. Write-out affirmations
Doing affirmations may be weird at first, but from experience, I can say that the more you do them the more natural it will feel!
You can find some short and simple sentences that sort of empower or that you feel would be a good reminder when you are feeling anxious. Then write them down in your phone or on paper and just carry them with you.
Some of the ones I use are:
- I am safe and protected
- I am not my anxiety
- I deserve to be here
- With each inhale I bring peace in my body
- I am enough
- I’ve survived this before and will survive it again
There are so many out there, so find the ones that work for you!
Although at first, you may not feel anything, the more you work with affirmations the more you’ll see their effects in your life.
18. Make sure you regulate your nervous system
Making sure your nervous system is regulated while you’re traveling is so important, if you’re prone to anxiety and not only!
Firstly because you’ll feel much calmer, at peace and ready to handle any challenge that may come your way. And as we know things tend to happen on trips! Something breaks, you lose an item, delays happen, or someone doesn’t answer.
These can trigger such anxiety and make you feel helpless but if you manage to do those things that can calm your nervous system, you might feel different about all those triggers and maybe they won’t even make you super anxious.
This takes practice though and it’s important to always have compassion for yourself and not judge yourself.
Here are some of the ways I regulate my nervous system while traveling:
- Meditation
- Laughing
- Eating nourishing food
- Spending time in nature (and soaking up the sun)
- Not using social media so much
- Tapping
- Talking to friends
- Make sure you get enough sleep
- Journaling
- Celebrating the little wins
Final thoughts on travel anxiety tips
Hope you’ve enjoyed all these travel anxiety tips and that you feel better about your upcoming trip!
NOTE: All the tips that I’ve included in this post are things that I tried over time to help me with my anxiety while traveling. They should not should not be considered professional medical advice. If you need any help with your anxiety, do seek out a doctor or someone qualified.
Remember, that traveling isn’t always easy and that many of us go through some anxiety at different degrees while on a trip.
The important thing is to find routines that can help you with travel anxiety so that you can explore the world and feel great!
Take care,
Victoria
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