How To Travel When You Have Anxiety
Anxiety is something that can have an impact on so many different areas of our lives. Depending on the kinds of anxiety we experience, it can affect any number of different things. Unfortunately, one of the most regularly impacted activities is our ability to travel. Suffering from anxiety whilst travelling can be heartbreaking, especially when it’s something you love to do. I’ve had my own personal experience with this, so I know how complicated these feelings can be. That’s why I’ve written this post – to give you a few tips on how to travel when you have anxiety.
Before we dive in, I just want to make it clear that I am not a medical professional or a mental health expert. Your first port of call when suffering from feeling of anxiety should be your GP or therapist. I am simply sharing my own experience, and what has worked for me during my own journey with anxiety.
A geat first stop is to check out mind’s post on self care for anxiety. Check it out via this link.
My Journey With Anxiety
When I was 18, I was diagnosed with multiple anxiety disorders. They had been brewing slowly for a number of years and then, all of a sudden, I was completely debilitated by the sudden onslaught of fear and worry. I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder, Health Anxiety, Emetophobia, mild Agoraphobia, as well as comorbid signs of developing OCD. For someone in their late teens, it was a lot to deal with.
These disorders dictated my every waking moment, from eating to socialisation, to hobbies, to work. Travel feels next to impossible when you’re dealing with these issues. Over the course of my recovery, anxiety whilst travelling remained one of my biggest challenges. Things I dealt with just fine at home immediately became ten times more difficult when away from home. As a travel lover, this was absolutely heartbreaking for me. However, I was determined to get my life back to the way I wanted to live it. So, I worked on developing coping skills in order to achieve this.
Things still aren’t perfect. I still worry more when I travel. Certain things – like going on a plane – still feel extremely difficult. However, with the skills I’ve developed, I’m now able to get away, take trips and get back to travelling. What has surprised me is how many people struggle with feelings of anxiety while they travel too, and this is why I want to share these tips with you. I want you to know that things are not hopeless and there are things you can do to help reduce your anxiety when you travel.
How To Travel When You Have Anxiety
1. Make A Plan
One of the biggest triggers for anxiety whilst travelling is fear of the unknown in unfamiliar circumstances. The best way to deal with this is to make a plan beforehand. Plan your journeys – if you need to take public transport, plan the route you need to take in advance. Save it to your phone. Plan your days, and where you’re going to eat. Keep your plan in a travel planner, notebook, or on your phone and make sure to keep it with you. Making sure you’re prepared will absolutely take a weight off.
2. Pack Prepared
Make sure you have everything you need. Do some research beforehand so you know what you’ll need. If you’re going hiking, make sure you have some comfortable hiking shoes. Pack your charger, medication, money, and snacks. Just knowing you’re prepared will let your mind rest a little easier.
3. Get lots of rest.
If you’re tired, your anxiety is going to be heightened even more so. So, make sure you get lots of sleep before you go. If you’re staying overnight, make sure you have a place to stay where you feel safe and comfortable. Also, make sure to include downtime in your plan. Make sure you have enough time to travel between the locations you want to get to, as well as time to sit down, have a breather, and a cup of tea.
4. Know Your Triggers
Knowing your triggers means you can be prepared to deal with them when they come up. The most important thing to remember when facing your triggers is to be gentle with yourself. Take it easy and take things at your own pace. Have coping skills in place, such a breathing exercises, in order to cope. If you’re willing to face your fears, that’s amazing and very brave! Ultimately, putting yourself in a situation where you feel scared is a great way to overcome that fear.
However, if you’re not at the point where you feel ready to do that, that’s totally okay and does not mean you can’t travel at all. Knowing your triggers means knowing what might suit you and what might not. For instance, if crowds are a trigger for you, then Central London may not be the trip for you. Alternatively, if wide open spaces are a trigger, then a trip to the Lake District may not be the best choice.
5. Go With Someone You Trust (And Tell Them How You Feel)
Going with someone you trust is a great way to feel support while you travel. Having someone on your side who is able to look out for you and share some of the planning responsibilities can make everything feel so much easier. Make sure to tell them how you feel. A great idea can be to make a joint plan for what to do whenever you feel anxious.
For instance, I will never forget a situation where I travelled with a friend. I was feeling quite anxious about some of the situations we were going to be in, so I told her I that crowds tend to trigger my anxiety. She invited me to let me to just let her know if I felt anxious and we would take a break and get some space. We ended up in a crowded spot and I felt my anxiety rise. I simply said, “Hey, I think I need to step out for a sec.” She immediately made space for me to move to a quieter area and we sat down while I did some deep breathing. Not only did I have time to calm myself down, I also knew I had someone who cared about me making sure I was okay. That alone made me feel so much calmer for the trip overall.
6. Do Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are a surefire way to cope with anxiety and can be a great way to bring your anxiety down to a manageable level if you find yourself in a difficult situation. A great option is square breathing in which you breathe as follows;
- Inhale for a count of 4
- Hold for a count of 4
- Exhale for a count of 4
- Hold for 4
Another great option is downloading a mindfulness meditation app to guide you through your anxiety.
7. Write In A Journal
Try taking a journal with you. Journalling is a great option for self-reflection and expression. Sometimes, when we’re overwhelmed, we simply need a way to blow off steam and get things off our chest. You could journal in the evening to reflect on your day, or even turn to it in the midst of a stressful situation to get things off your mind. For instance, if you find public transport stressful, you could use your journal to write and express how you feel.
8. Use Affirmations
Affirmations are a fantastic tool, especially if you find yourself in a difficult circumstance. You can repeat these first thing in the morning, leading up to a difficult event, or even in the middle of a stressful situation in order to help yourself get through it and shift your mindset. Some great affirmations for travelling with anxiety include:
- I am safe.
- I am brave enough to face my fears.
- I am prepared, I am relaxed.
- I am grateful for the opportunity to travel and see new things.
- I am capable of coping with any situation that arises.
- I can always reach out for help.
- Thousands of people travel every day and have a wonderful time.
These are just a few appropriate ideas, but the most powerful affirmations are the ones that you come up with yourself. Imagine how you would give your own specific anxious thoughts a pep talk and create an affirmation out of it. Then, repeat it until it’s drilled into your head and your mind has no choice but to remember it!
9. Pack Distractions/Comfort Items
Packing a mini care kit is a great idea when you have anxiety. You could include a book, a handheld games console, a sketchpad, or any other sort of distraction to help yourself focus on things that make you feel good rather than things you don’t. Including items that you find comforting is also a great idea. You could pack a small stuffed toy, a fidget toy, or a small bottle of lavender oil. Taking familiar and comforting things with you is sure to make you more relaxed as you travel.
10. Accept Your Symptoms
Let’s face it, anxiety sucks. It gets in the way of the things you really want to do. It makes us feel all sorts of confusing feelings outside of the fear itself. One thing I do know is resisting how you feel is only going to make it worse. If you resist it, you’ll start to feel anxious about feeling anxious. You’ll feel guilty, angry, and scared. It is simply not worth it. I know that all you want to do is run a million miles in the opposite direction from your anxiety. However, I promise you, if you accept your symptoms and situation, your ability to handle it will expand more than you could believe.
Most importantly; feeling anxious is nothing to be ashamed of. You are not lesser, it is not your fault, and I know that you are doing your best. You are in a difficult situation – do not beat yourself up for finding it difficult.
Conclusion
I really hope this has helped you a little. There are plenty of things you can do to help with anxiety when you travel- this is merely a selection, and you’re probably able to think of even more. All I hope is that this post has shown you that it is manageable. Anxiety is really good at making things seem hopeless, and if I’ve managed to show you that there is hope then that’s all I could ask for. Now you know how to travel with anxiety, the world is all yours to explore in a way that’s enjoyable for you.
Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope to see you back here again soon.
Ta-ta for now! x
