Most people get pre-trip anxiety. Honestly. Even those who travel regularly, who have been to far-flung places, get nervous before a trip. If you get pre-travel jitters, you’re not alone (nor are you abnormal!).
As I shared in my post about Morocco, I struggled with a lot of pre-trip anxiety in the months leading up to the trip. I tried to cancel my Sri Lanka trip last year (it was prepaid and nonrefundable) due to nerves.
But obviously, I ended up taking both trips, and they were both remarkable. They were memory-forming and thoroughly enjoyable. I am glad I went. But the late-night worrying before the trips was not my favorite emotion. The question is: how can we manage our pre-trip anxiety so we still get on the plane or in the car and take the trip? How do we manage the days/weeks/months leading up to the trip in a way that is mentally healthy?
It always helps me to remember what anxiety actually is. Anxiety is stress and worry, usually created as we cope with the unknown and unknowable. In that context, anxiety is entirely predictable when anticipating travel, given all the things we cannot and won’t know until the trip is done and we’re safely back home!
While most humans get pre-travel anxiety, it is important to stay tuned in to your own body and mind. If you find the anxiety to be debilitating or seemingly out of proportion to the trip, seek professional counseling. And never be afraid to cancel a trip if it is better for you in the longterm.
But if you find yourself in the throes of normal pre-trip jitters, there are some things I have found that help me manage.
How to Deal with Pre-Trip Anxiety When Traveling
1) Find your balance with planning – set boundaries, but be prepared. In reference to point 3 below, I like to do a fair amount of planning, particularly if I am traveling with my kids and have extra safety obligations. I also try to ensure that all transportation and lodging are arranged and confirmed. Beyond that, extra planning is optional!
Sometimes you can drive yourself crazy trying to plan every minute of every vacation day (CONTROL!) before you leave your home. Know what you need to do to feel as though you have decent structure and will be able to experience what you want, but don’t try to schedule every minute of every day.
2) Ask the important questions first. I have nine important questions I always answer for myself before I travel internationally, and they help a lot.
3) Have everything for your arrival prearranged: transportation, hotel check-in, and first meal. The first 12-24 hours on the ground are always the most challenging. I learned this lesson the hard way when we arrived in Lisbon. It was raining, we were utterly exhausted, we had no idea where to go to eat, where to park, and it was a rough situation all around. Pay extra to set up a ride from the airport to your hotel. Have dinner reservations made. Assume that you will be unable to make a decision or think critically when you arrive due to overwhelm and jetlag. Have all the decisions made and booked for that first day.
4) Read the blogs, books, and articles about the place you are going. Instead of mindlessly scrolling social media, be deliberate with your downtime and seek out sources that celebrate where you are about to go. Relish in the wonders you are about to experience and let yourself be excited. After all, you picked your destination for a reason! Keep that in mind.
5) Start packing in advance. I hate packing. It is my least favorite travel chore. I get stressed trying to decide what I will absolutely need, what I can leave so I am not overpacking, and navigating appropriate attire for weather and adventures. But what makes it worse? If I do it a few hours before I am supposed to leave.
I have taken to laying out what I think I want to take the day before, and letting it sit. I’ll make changes and alterations to the items throughout the day as I have time to think through things. I’ve learned that starting that process early helps reduce my anxiety levels a lot.
If you want tips on making packing easier, read this post.
6) Know that things will go wrong at some point, but with a passport, a smartphone, and a wallet, you can handle anything. Go ahead and give your mind time to wander into the worst-case scenario: what’s the worst that could go wrong, and how would you handle it? I bet with access to resources (like a phone, Internet, money, and your passport), you realize you can get through just about anything. Nothing is so daunting that you will be alone to handle it. Trust yourself and your resources.
7) Don’t read the news! The news reports from around the world will make you believe everything is dangerous, everywhere is in flames, and people want to harm each other all the time. That’s simply not true. People are kinder than you think; the world is more available for exploration than the news will lead you to believe.
8) Take care of your body and health. Get sleep, eat healthy, take walks, meditate, drink water, and cut back on caffeine. Your body keeps the score, and you can help manage your anxiety levels by making sure the body understands it is well-tended to and doesn’t have to engage in fight or flight.
I really do believe that the trip is almost always worth it. Getting there is the toughest battle of all. Be gentle with yourself as you plan and prepare. But also, allow yourself to get excited and enjoy the process. You’ve got this.
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