How to Overcome Travel Anxiety?

Going to new places, hopping into new cafes, and enjoying the scenic beauty sounds fun. Travelling has always been considered refreshing. But for Priya, a 24-year-old software designer, this excitement has always been elusive. Although planning a new trip and jotting down the things to do excited her, she always felt stressed and anxious as soon as the actual countdown began and the trip date approached.

For a long time, Priya thought she was the only one who felt this way. Often called a ‘bore’ and a ‘party-pooper’, Priya started stressing all the more. Despite trying to enjoy herself, her frustration grew, leading her to cancel her travel plans altogether. Burdened by guilt, Priya eventually confided in her mother. Together, they sought the help of a therapist, who diagnosed Priya with "travel anxiety."

Travel anxiety may sound like an alien concept to many. However, the data says otherwise. Around 44.9 million Indian people battle travel anxiety, according to Lancet Study. Many others like Priya find themselves worrying over unfamiliar places, cancelled flights, long travel, and other concerns. Data from the International Civil Aviation Organisation shows that around 40% of people struggle with air travel alone.

Identifying Travel Anxiety

If you're dealing with anxiety, identifying your symptoms is vital. This helps you understand and manage your anxiety concerns. Symptoms of travel anxiety may differ from person to person. However, here are some common anxiety symptoms to see if you struggle with travel anxiety:

1. Trouble sleeping or insomnia around your travel date
2. Feeling of restlessness
3. Being easily irritated and agitated around your travel date
4. Worrying excessively about your travel plans
5. Chest pain or breathing difficulty while travelling
6. Feeling nauseous
7. A drop in concentration levels as the trip date approaches.

These symptoms may range from medium to severe. And in case you're overwhelmed with these feelings, it might lead to panic attacks.

What Causes Travel Anxiety?

Now that you know what travel anxiety looks like, let's go ahead with managing anxiety. Here, your first step can be identifying what causes your travel anxiety. Among several factors that may trigger pre-travel anxiety, here are some common causes:

Anxiety Over Flying

Many people struggle with flight anxiety. This may come from factors like flying in bad weather, experiencing turbulence, etc.

The Anxiety of Stepping Out of That Comfort Zone

The human mind and body get used to a specific place and idea. When you try stepping out of that zone and doing unfamiliar things, your mind overthinks. So, going to unfamiliar places may trigger your overthinking, leading to anxiety.

Overthinking The What Ifs

Many individuals struggle with the what-ifs of the trip. They can't stop thinking about things that may go wrong. For example, what if they run out of finances, what if the stay doesn't turn out great, and so on?

Not-So-Good Experiences

For individuals who have had lousy travel experiences like an accident or emergency while on a trip, it can lead to anxiety disorders.

Overcoming Your Travel Anxiety

Overcoming anxiety can be difficult. Here are a few easy tips to help.

Mark Your Triggers

Your anxiety triggers are what lead to your anxiety symptoms. Now, these triggers are personal and different for everyone. For example, some individuals struggle with flight check-ins, while others may worry about the food. Mark those triggers. Taking psychotherapy sessions to recognise those triggers and working on them can help.

Planning is The Key

To ensure you do not exploit your mind with all the what-ifs, plan! Plan everything you can. For example, contact your friend if you run out of money, keep a map in case you get lost, have travel insurance for travel emergencies, and so on.

Planning these small details will help you find a solution to every what-if problem. This can be one of the most effective ways to deal with anxiety.

Pack Your Distractions Too

When you struggle with anxiety, some things always help you calm down a bit. This may be your favourite video game, your favourite book, watching a show, or something else. Consider packing all those distractions. They may help you have some anxiety relief in case of anxiety symptoms.

Relaxation Techniques May Help

Relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and relaxing your muscles can soothe your anxiety attack symptoms.

Bring That Friend

If you struggle to go solo, bring your friend along to tag along. Once you're with someone, you may feel comfortable, enjoy it better, and be more active and adventurous.

Positive Affirmations

Travelling can expose you to a new, different world. You can see new cultures, languages, food and more. Try jotting down all these positive experiences you may get while travelling. Listing all these things can be one of the best ways to calm anxiety.

Medication May Help

If you see that neither psychotherapy nor planning is helping, then consider going for medication. Consider visiting a doctor and see what medicine or treatment suits you the best.

Also Read: Brazil Visa for Indians

Wrapping Up!

Travel anxiety is natural and can be overwhelming. It can be frustrating not to be able to enjoy the good parts and ponder over the what-ifs. However, with careful planning, relaxation techniques, and marking your triggers, you can greatly help yourself. For severe symptoms, visit a healthcare expert. In addition to these, having travel health insurance is one of the best things to help with anxiety. It can give you additional peace of mind.

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