While traveling and visiting new places can be a lot of fun, it can also be very stressful in some situations. Especially if you already struggle with stressing out about things or have issues with anxiety, traveling can be a huge trigger for your fight-or-flight reflexes. Luckily, there are quite a few things you can do both in preparation and in execution of your plans that will help to alleviate the stress you might have previously felt while traveling. To help show you how, here are three ways you can minimize the stress of your upcoming travels.
Become A Believer In Lists
Planning well for your trip is going to make a big difference regarding how you feel when the time comes to start traveling. There’s always going to be a little bit of stress about wondering if you packed the right items and about traveling safely, but by being as prepared as possible, you can severely decrease this stress. Adrienne Breaux, a contributor to ApartmentTherapy.com, recommends using lists to help you manage your prep before you travel. The sooner you create lists about what you need to pack, what tasks you need to do before you leave, and how you’re planning your travels to progress, the more you’ll be able to relax about certain things going wrong.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
One of the most stressful things about traveling is timing. If you plan to fly or take another form of public transportation, you’re going to be working on someone else’s timetable, not your own. This means you can’t afford to be late if you want to get to where you’re going. So to stress less about getting to where you need to be when you need to be there, John Roberts, a contributor to SmarterTravel.com, recommends giving yourself ample time when in transit. Try to get to the airport at least 90 minutes before your flight for domestic travel and 3 hours for international travel. You can also check to see how long security will take using various mobile apps. By giving yourself the most time possible, you won’t have to stress about missing your travel arrangements.
Try To Stick To Your Normal Routines
Having a schedule can be very calming and soothing. That’s one bad thing about traveling; all semblance of a routine is gone. However, you can still do things that you would do in your normal routine to ensure you keep your stress levels down while traveling. Raquel Baldelomar, a contributor to Forbes.com, recommends trying to stick to your normal exercise, eating, and sleeping habits even while you’re traveling. This will help your body and mind to feel like there’s a sense of consistency in your life that could really help fight off feelings of stress and anxiety.
If you find yourself getting stressed when you travel, use the tips mentioned above to help you overcome those feelings and enjoy the journey.
