7 tips to overcome travel anxiety in the holiday season

You are prepping for your next vacay, but you can’t stop feeling restless thinking of being a part of unlimited crowds, a long journey, new food and what not. The thought of an unlimited crowd might scare the hell out of you. Surely, as much as the thought of a vacation makes you jump with elation, some days, the travel anxiety can hinder the joy that comes along. But worry not, as it’s not an unlikely feeling and can be easily managed through different ways of coping. If you are someone who is battling travel anxiety, then we promise to be there for you!

Health Shots got in touch with pschologist Kamna Chhibber, to understand ways through which a person can know how to deal with travel anxiety.

Ways to cope with travel anxiety

The expert listed down some ways in which we can give blow to travel anxiety and feel better.

1. Reach a state of awareness

In the words of Dr Chhibber, “Develop an understanding of your triggers. Great awareness allows you to actively work towards taking a problem-solving approach.”

When we slip into a state of anxiety or negativity, not only do we lose sight of the positives, but we also lose our problem-solving abilities. It’s important to be aware of your triggers and navigate your way to deal with them.

2. Create a tentative plan

Travelling comes with a lot of uncertainty. You can’t fathom what the next moment has on hold for you. Sometimes, no amount of planning can be of any help. However, you can create a tentative plan for situations you are most apprehensive about. Being pre-prepared helps you deal with an underlying issue in hand.

3. Keep past positive experiences in mind

As per the expert, you have to make a conscious choice to remember and utilize past positive experiences to reinforce the goodness of travel plans you have and the social interactions that can come on account of them.

4. Don’t over-prepare yourself

It’s always best to learn the art of letting go and letting raw travel experiences pass through you as and when they come. In the words of the expert, “Don’t over-prepare yourself and allow spontaneous experiences to be a part of your journey.”
Being all armoured rips you off the joy of being in the moment as you are always busy thinking of the next possible worst-case scenario.

5. Consider doing shorter or smaller trips

To get comfortable with the idea of travelling, you might consider taking small, shorter trips that give you the hang of being outside around new people and places.

Also read: 6 travel-friendly, nutritious snacks for your next adventure

6. Be in areas of larger groups

The expert reckons to attempt to be in areas where there are large groups even before travel to get yourself to feel comfortable. That preps you up for long journeys and an unlimited crowd that you are going to be a part of.

7. Shift your focus back to the present moment

Try to keep bringing yourself to focus on the present and not allow yourself to continuously think of hypothetical scenarios continually.