Conquering travel fears!

Travel is something that has been put on hold in the times of Covid, however, we will eventually be allowed to venture out and explore the world once more. When this time comes many people may find themselves struck by travel fears for the first time or a return of old anxieties.

I have been living anxiety for years! It consumed my life and it held me back for a very long time. I have personally found traveling to be one of the most anxiety inducing experiences to endure, so I avoided it like the plague. However, in the last five years my wanderlust grew to outweigh my panic. Here are a few things that I have found personally useful in managing my travel fears in the past and a few that I will be making use of once we are free to roam again.

1. Travel with someone you find calming.

This may seem like an obvious point, but it truly does make a huge difference. We all have people in our lives, be they friends or family members, who manage to make situations just that little bit more stressful through no fault of their own. Therefore, wherever possible, I try to travel with the people who I find most grounding. These people will be completely different for every individual.

For me personal, I find the best traveling companions are the ones who don’t take it to heart if the conversations trails off and are happy to let me sit in silence and process my own thoughts.

2. Have a loose plan before you even book.

A basic packing list, a source of travel money that you know you can rely on, an in date passport in a place that you can REMEMBER and a suitcase or bag, in acceptable condition that can hold your basic packing list.

These are things that I keep track of throughout the year, regardless of whether I am actively planning on traveling or not. It’s a solid starting point that means I know that I don’t have to worry about the basics. It also means that if an opportunity ever arises where someone turns to you last minute and asks you to go away with them, you know that you are in a position to do so. (commitments allowing).

3. An idea of how you like to spend your holidays.

Do you like to explore the local area? Does your day revolve around food? Are you a hiker, a swimmer or a spa goer? Would you rather stay at the resort or make your own way? Any and all options are valid! You need to know what you would like to do while you’re away, what you find relaxing, enjoyable and exciting and what can absolutely ruin your day.

If you have to explore the local culture, maybe an all-inclusive holiday in a fully equipped resort isn’t for you. In a world where all options are available, knowing what works best for you makes it so much easier to narrow down where you want to go and where you want to stay. It also helps when you’re deciding how to spend you days.

4. White an itinerary.

It doesn’t have to be to the minute if that’s not your style, but creating a list before you go, of a few things that you really want to do or see will help take the edge off the worry.

Personally I like to have things planned for just over half the days I’m away. If I’m away for a week I plan 4 days’ worth of things to do before I go and then leave 3 days free. This means that I don’t have to do everything I’ve planned on the same day. If I find that an activity has taken longer that I had planned and I no longer have time to do all the things I had hoped to, that’s fine, I have 3 free days that I can make use of for anything I missed out on.

However, some of my friends prefer to make an extensive list of things to do and then divide that list into three, ‘must do’, ‘would like to do’ and finally, ‘if there’s time’. Once the list is finalised it is easy to spread them out so there’s a mix for each category on each day.

5. Keep a file of relevant paperwork.

Digital or physical, it doesn’t matter, I usually have both. Keeping all the documents, maps and lists you have for your trip in one place is very reassuring. Do you have an irrational fear that you booked the flights for the wrong day? Check the file. Are you worried that the hotel might charge you twice? Check the file. I like to keep my passport with the physical file because I seem to misplace things a lot. Once I'm off and away, I give the physical file to someone who isn’t coming away with me, usually my mum, so if anything goes wrong while I’m away, someone at home will have all of the relevant information to lend a hand.

6. Maybe talk to a doctor?

Anxiety is always an interesting thing to deal with. If you do suffer from anxiety or stress or excessive worrying, even if it is limited just to traveling, it might be worth speaking to a professional. I am not a professional, I am just a person who deals with their own travel related anxieties. The tips above have helped me a lot. I didn’t go on holiday for a very long time due to my fears, now I have them managed to the point that I am excited to travel. That being said, I still need medication to help me with flying and that’s fine.

In January of 2020, before Covid was a part of our lives, I used all of these techniques when I went on holiday alone for the first time and I had an amazing time! I used one of my activity free days to just hide in my hotel room because traveling alone brought up a whole new set of worries that I hadn’t considered before. This experience taught me that the most important thing to keep in mind when dealing with travel fear, or anxieties of any sort, is to be kind to yourself and give yourself the time you need.