Tips for Handling Travel Anxiety

I don't have an official anxiety diagnosis, but from time to time I do experience symptoms like being overly irritable, feeling keyed up, and excessive worrying.

One thing that gives me anxiety is going new places.  Which seems kind of odd for someone who has a travel blog.

I frequently go new places. And yeah, I always feel anxious before I go.

I'm also an over-thinker. Sometimes overthinking is a good thing because I can make plans and anticipate problems. Other times overthinking is a bad thing because I start worrying about ALL the things that can go wrong and then trying to plan contingency plans for ALL those things. My overthinking really gets out of hand when I start trying to make contingency plans for the contingency plans.

My anxiety always ramps up when I'm traveling - even for a vacation. You'd think that going on vacation would relax me, but no, going on vacation just gives me new opportunities to overthink and worry.

I worry about money, I worry about wasting time, I worry about the kids getting too bored, I worry about Brandon thinking the stuff I planned is dumb, I worry that we won't be able to find our campgrounds or hotels, and so on and so forth.

So how do I handle it?

Over the years I've discovered ways to manage my anxiety when I'm traveling. These things aren't fool-proof, but they have helped.  I want to share some of my tips with you. Before we talk about these tips I should probably add a disclaimer. I'm not a psychologist or a therapist. I'm just a regular person who has learned how to handle some things that stress me out.

Give Myself Grace -I always worry about how everyone else is reacting to the trip. I'm usually in charge of planning the travel itinerary so I start wondering if everyone else in my family will like it. Will they like the campground I booked? Will the place that looked cool online be as interesting in real life? Are we wasting our money on the activities I've planned?

I've learned that I need to tell myself that it's okay if things don't turn out "perfect." The kids will survive boredom. It's okay if I screw up a reservation or forget to pack something.  We will all be okay.

Healthy Food - Eating vegetables helps me stay regulated emotionally. I figured this out a few years ago when I was feeling super sad after coming home from a long cross country road trip. At first I thought I was sad that vacation was over, but then I felt so much happier after eating a salad. I realized that my body was negatively reacting to all the granola bars and chips I'd been snacking on while driving. Now when I'm on vacation or traveling I try to pack vegetables like baby carrots, celery, and green peppers in addition to all the fun food.

Easy Going Travel Buddy - Brandon and I have been married for almost 13 years. We have gone on so many trips and vacations together. He is a great travel buddy because he is generally easy going. Nothing really frustrates him - especially when we are on vacation. He's the type of person that doesn't stress about whether or not we are going to make our reservation or have enough money. In his mind everything will work out. That helps me out a lot when I'm starting to overthink everything.

My sisters are also great travel companions because they are much less Type A than me. Last summer we went on a Sisters trip to Zion National Park and it was one of the most laid back vacations I've been on in my adult life (it also helped that none of us had our children with us.)

Stress Management in General - Lately I've noticed a decrease in my anxiety overall. I've been trying to do yoga as well as practice redirecting my negative thoughts. These have helped me relax so that I'm not constantly worrying about everything. I've noticed I've become a lot more chill while traveling.

Prepare for Problems/Emergencies - It is possible to overthink when it comes to planning for emergencies, but overall I like the peace of mind that comes from being prepared for problems. I keep a change of clothes in the car, I have cash on hand in case we are somewhere that doesn't take debit cards, and I have print outs of reservation confirmations and maps in case we can't get WiFi service. Maybe all of this is a bit of overkill, but it gives me piece of mind. When I start to worry I can tell myself things like, "I have extra clothes. It's okay if the kids get wet." or "I have the confirmation in this folder so I have proof if the hotel clerk can't find my reservation."

Bring Paper Maps - I'm usually in charge of navigating our route while Brandon drives. I like to have a paper map in front of me. It helps me to visualize where we are and where we need to go. I've also finally started using the GPS in my smart phone, but even then I still like to have the paper map. Paper maps help me see the whole picture which helps me feel more in control.

Have Reservations - One of the things I stress about is where we are going to sleep while travelling. I have to have reservations to campsites and hotels. It gives me peace of mind to know that we will have a place to stay. Maybe one day I will be carefree enough to set out on a road trip with only the vaguest idea where we are sleeping each night. Or maybe one day I'll have the courage to go camping at a first come first serve campsite. But until then, I need reservations in order to enjoy the trip.

Cash in the Car- I stress a ton about money.  When we are travelling I like to have about $100 in small bills and change stashed in the car in case of any incidental expenses. This has come in handy a few times.

Car Maintenance - I try to keep up on the maintenance schedules for my car. Getting the oil changed and the tires rotated on schedule won't prevent every car problem, but it will keep the car running well. Plus those are good times for mechanics to tell me if there is an upcoming problem.

Pack Smart - I usually over-think when I'm packing clothes. If I'm not careful I would pack an outfit for nearly every scenario I can think of (are we going to church while we are visiting family?  Better pack fancy clothes. Are we going swimming? Better pack towels and swimming suits. Are we going to get dirty? Better pack a whole weeks worth of clothes.)  Over the years I've learned to pack clothes that can be used in multiple ways. One thing that really helps is to plan for doing laundry throughout the trip. I usually bring laundry soap and a lot of quarters. I also like to book hotels that have laundry facilities. This helps reduce the amount of clothes I pack.

That being said I do have a bag in the car with "back up clothes" just in case the kids get their clothes dirty or soaking wet. I have an extra shirt, pair of pants, pair of underwear, socks, and a jacket for each kid. Keeping these thing on hand has come in handy a lot over the years.

Plan Activities I Enjoy - After reading through all of this you may be wondering why I even bother traveling. Is all the anxiety worth it?  Yes it is. On the whole I do eventually relax when I'm on vacation (though it's usually not on the first day.) It's all worth it when I get to see an interesting sight or watch my children enjoy something new.

The whole point of going on vacation is to do activities my family and I enjoy. Camping is relaxing for me. I like being out in nature.  I also love being in the water. We usually stay in hotels with swimming pools or plan to swim at a beach as part of our trips. Planning activities I know I will enjoy helps me have something positive to focus on rather than letting myself dwell on all my worries.

Just Keep Traveling - You know what's helped the most with my travel anxiety? Travelling. That may sound counter intuitive, but its the truth. Over the years I've been able to gain experience going new places. And that experience helps me feel more comfortable the next time I have to do something new.  I've learned how to check into campgrounds and hotels, I've driven on busy roads in crowded cities, I'm not afraid to pump gas anymore. Whenever I'm scared of doing something new I tell myself "I've survived the other scary things I've done. I'll probably get through this one too."

For example, when our twins were babies Brandon and I flew with them to Arizona and rented a car. It was my first time flying as an adult, and I'd never rented a car before. Consequently, I was anxious most of the trip. But nothing terrible happened and Brandon got me through all the ins and outs. Eighteen months later I flew by myself to Georgia for Brandon's graduation from Basic Training.  I was still a little nervous, but I'd done it all before and so I knew I would be okay. And I was!

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I hope these tips help you as you prepare for a trip that is giving you anxiety. There is no one magic trick that will make anxiety go away, but I hope I've provided you with some ideas for how to handle travel anxiety.

I'm always looking for ways to handle my anxiety when it flares up. If you have a tip that you'd like to tell me about please leave a comment.