Research has shown that some people develop anxiety before and during travels. This is due to a previous negative event that may have occurred once. For example, 65% of people develop travel anxiety when they have been involved in an accident. Fortunately, you can overcome this by adopting a few measures that quash those negative experiences. Below are a few you will find useful to calm your anxiety.
1 – Know Your Triggers
A trigger is any action or situation that elicits an undesirable emotional reaction. It is usually a psychological stimulus that provokes the recollection of unintentional memories that a person would rather forget. People who experience travel anxiety have different triggers.
Some examples could include driving through snow, an impending storm, or any change in weather conditions. For some people, it might be flight phobia, being in an enclosed space like a moving car, travel accommodation concerns, etc.
Indeed, the list of triggers is many. Knowing the specific ones that apply to you can be a major intervention that helps you overcome these negative associations. Because you know the situations that provoke your travel anxiety, you will be ready for them when they occur.
Remaining in the dark about your triggers could increase your risk of experiencing more travel anxiety episodes.
2 – Take Along Effective Anxiety Distractions
Your distraction tools may not be the same as the next person’s. It can be an activity, a physical item, self-assuring words, or a combination of interventions. These distractions help you pass the time and reduce the chances of experiencing full-blown travel anxiety.
Depending on personal interests, some people may opt for aromatherapy, games, puzzles, or novels. In other instances, people with travel anxiety may want to use cbd oil due to its relaxation properties.
It helps to always have these distractions on hand. When traveling by air, know whether some of these items can be taken on board. Something like CBD oil is acceptable if you’re traveling within the US. However, the oil should not be less than 3 ounces and contain less than 0.3 of THC (a compound in CBD).
Feel free to read more about CBD oil and its uses here on the blog.
3 – Plan for Certain Travel Scenarios
Subsequent to knowing your triggers is planning for specific scenarios. For instance, is your anxiety centered around running out of money at your travel destination? If yes, it would be best to have a backup plan to avoid triggering full-blown anxiety in a foreign place.
If you’re concerned about staying healthy during the trip, boost your immunity before traveling through workout or yoga. Consulting your doctor for vitamin supplements will only improve your health better.
Another scenario to plan for is if you get lost on your way back to the hotel on your trip. What plans have you laid down to find your way back if that happens? Do you have a paper map of the area or an emergency contact to call? The more backup you have, the less anxiety you may experience.
Final Thoughts
In summary, other travel scenarios to plan for include medical care, access to soft copies of your travel documents, and so on. These scenarios may not exactly be triggers. However, you want to avoid creating situations that increase the risk of experiencing a meltdown. If this happens at your travel location, it might be challenging to receive immediate help. Not everyone knows about travel anxiety or how to offer assistance to a person experiencing it.
