Overcoming Travel Anxiety: Practical Tips for First-Time Solo Travelers
So far, we have asked ourselves the necessary questions and built our confidence before embarking on our solo travel journey. Now, what about the anxiety that comes after the trip is booked and the plane ticket is in hand? As a woman, I think a certain amount of anxiety is expected and a bit necessary. On the other hand, if the anxiety overpowers the excitement, then there is a problem.
Take these steps when anxiety is attempting to choke the life out of your trip:
Put on your favorite playlist
Take several deep breaths ( I prefer the box breathing method)
Quadruple check your phone, cards, cash, ID’s
Ask yourself about the last time you slept, ate, and drank water
Remind yourself that you’ve done the leg work, and while every trip has its ups and downs, this trip will be fantastic
It is much better to start a trip thinking about all the amazing things you will experience as opposed to inviting the worst thoughts to continue fueling your already overzealous anxiety. Playing your favorite playlist 1) offers some much-needed distraction and 2) provides familiarity to ease the mind from the terrors of the unknown. Deep breathing aids in stress relief, lowering blood pressure, and refocusing. Box breathing involves counting to four over and over again, and who can dwell on the unknown when listening to music, counting, and breathing at the same time?
Now that you have calmed down, go ahead and check your items. I’m sure you did this several times while packing, before leaving, AND several times while at the airport. But check again because it will make you feel better. Once that is out of the way, get more in-depth about your habits over the last few hours or days.
Have you had enough sleep?
Was it good sleep?
When was the last time you ate?
What did you eat?
Was it healthy, or do you feel like a bloated mess?
Have you had water?
How much water have you had?
When is your period set to start? Or what menstrual phase are you in?
This list of questions can be valuable in any situation. In place of panic, you can try to pinpoint the problem and hopefully come up with a simple solution. Odds are you stayed up all night packing and repacking for your trip. Now you are hyped up on caffeine when really you should be sleeping. A muffin is not a meal, need I say more? Pizza is considered a meal, but how are you feeling afterward? No, but really, where is your water bottle? And last but not least, I hate to say it, but sometimes it is just hormones. In a perfect world, vacations could be planned around menstrual cycles and, ideally, when in ovulation. However, menstrual cycles are never fair, especially when travel can change it by several days.
Hopefully, these questions will help pinpoint the source of unease. If it has, do your best to address it quickly. If it hasn’t, continue with the deep breathing, phone a friend if possible, and ask yourself these two questions: Why am I going on this trip? Do I hate planes (or whatever mode of travel you are using)? Reconnect with your why by reminding yourself of your intentions and expectations. Ask yourself if you are afraid to fly. I don’t have this problem, but I have a friend who can not get on a plane without a Xanax. No one is here to judge whether it’s a Xanax, a gummy, a brownie, or a strong tea, as long as the rest of your trip is great, it will be worth it.
Last but not least, remember you have done the work. Trust the process, trust yourself, and let everything else be a lesson for the next time.
Happy Travels!
