You’re so excited to travel the world, hop on your flight and head out on the vacation you’ve been waiting so long for. But what happens when you get hit with flight anxiety, a panic, attack, an anxiety attack, or simply experience a poor mental health day? Mental health issues can, unfortunately, stop you in your tracks. An estimated 20% of Americans deal with a mental health condition, making it a prevalent issue.
Strong Mental Health Travel Tips
While travel brings out the best in people, boosts your confidence and opens your eyes to new experiences, it also brings out some tricky situations. Take a look below at the travel tips for navigating some of the more stressful parts of your next vacation, and keeping your mental health strong during these times.
1. Navigating flight anxiety: delayed flights, turbulence and more
Flying is nerve-wracking. An estimated 40% of people deal with flight-related anxiety and 2.5% have a diagnosed phobia. Meditation apps like Headspace and Calm have specific guided meditations for during turbulent flights, walking you through calming steps to relax your body and feel safe. Other options include visualizations of the ground underneath you, so you don’t feel the oddity of being suspended in the air. Everyone deals with flight anxiety differently, so find what works best for you.
When it comes to the stress of delayed flights and missed connections, realize in advance it might happen. Keep your phone charged and download your airline’s apps to talk to an agent quickly.
2. Packing your bags
Do you anxiously run over your packing list multiple times, wondering if you forgot something? The mental overwhelm of travel is real and your brain can feel exhausted before you even start your trip. Write down a physical packing list and if you add things to your bag that weren’t on the list, go back and add them to your packing list so you can remember exactly what you’ve grabbed so far.
Save this list in your notes app, Google Docs, or your preferred documentation method, so you can simply copy, paste and edit it the next time you go on a trip.
3. Navigating an unfamiliar city or destination
Awesome, you finally reached your destination! But now, you might be anxious about transportation, finding your hotel or locating food and maybe your Wi-Fi isn’t connected yet either. Instead of starting a frantic search on your phone, once you land, map out transportation from the airport to your hotel before you even get on your flight.
Whether it’s a taxi, bus or train, look up schedules and purchase tickets ahead of time, if possible. Also, list out some restaurants within a close radius of your hotel. Make note of the time you arrive and ensure those places will be open.
4. Feeling unsafe
Whether you’re walking home at night or feel iffy about the security of your hotel room, it’s normal to feel unsafe at moments when you’re traveling. First, before you book your trip, do some Internet digging into the area's safety and ensure you’re staying in a well-populated spot.
Second, stay aware of your surroundings when out and about. Don’t zone out listening to music or staring down at your phone looking at a map. Keep copies of your passport or ID in your suitcase and bring an extra credit card or cash that you keep in the hotel room safe. These backups might help you feel less anxious about your belongings getting stolen.
5. Budgeting for your trip
Maybe you feel anxious about spending a lot of money on your vacation, or you’re worried about budgeting while on your trip. When it comes to financial anxieties, the best thing to do is prepare well. If possible, set up auto-savings on your bank account, putting extra money away regularly to pay for your trip.
Also, set a budget for your vacation and stick to it. Estimate the activities you’ll do and how much they’ll cost and leave room for three meals a day and snacks. As you travel more and more, you’ll get better about budgeting for and on your trip, ensuring you feel confident and prepared when it comes to money situations.
6. Losing your routine
If you’re among the many people who find security and safety in your regular routine, you’re not alone. Travel is amazing because it pushes you out of your comfort zone and encourages you to try new things. However, we can all admit that your favorite local coffee shop making your Americano perfect every morning is highly comforting and travel forces you to embrace new routines. Remember that your old routines will be there as soon as you head home, so this is a short period for you to try the new cappuccino flavor or indulge in the local cuisine.
However, you can also bring key items from home that help establish a sense of familiarity and comfort. Maybe bring your favorite pillow case, a familiar water bottle, your journal or a skincare routine. Doing the same things you do at home can help alleviate some of the anxiety you might face around new things throughout the day. The same goes for your nighttime routine; if you use a sound machine or nightlight, try to bring it along.
7. Needing a map but not having Wi-Fi
8. Using a new language
Maybe you’re traveling to a place where you’re familiar with the language, or perhaps it’s entirely new to you. At the bare minimum, you might have to ask locals for help finding transportation or your hotel, so a translation tool on your phone is critical. Before you head on your vacation, it’s helpful to learn a few simple phrases like “hello” and “thank you” to show appreciation for the local language.
9. Creating a travel diary
You’ll want to document every aspect of your trip from photos to videos to how you feel daily. Bring along your physical journal, or download a travel diary app where you can attach pictures and record your memories of the day.
Stay Mentally Strong on Your Next Vacation
While travel is exciting and fun, it can also be stressful and it’s completely normal to feel torn about your upcoming trip. Prepare as much as possible, recognizing that not everything will go as planned. As you travel more and more, you’ll get increasingly comfortable with change, bumps in the road and new routines. For now, enjoy the ride!
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