When visiting an unfamiliar place and planning your travel, you might feel more anxious than usual. This is what many people call ‘travel anxiety.’ While it is not considered a mental health condition, some cases of travel anxiety become so bad that people quit traveling altogether. If you find yourself getting more anxious because of your upcoming trip, here are a few tips to ease, if not overcome them.
Possible Causes of Travel Anxiety
There are several reasons and negative experiences that people might associate with traveling. One of the most popular reasons being involved in a car accident. Another is experiencing panic attacks while in a foreign place. Some people also experience a spike in their anxiety levels once they hear news about others’ travel experiences such as unfamiliar illnesses or plane crashes.
If you experience worse travel anxiety than usual, it might be better to consult with a counselor or therapist to identify the possible triggers and treatment, if necessary.
Identifying Your Triggers
Your triggers are what make your anxiety spike. It might be general or specific to traveling such as plane boarding. Aside from these, your mood can also change because of outside influences like stress, caffeine, or low sugar levels in your blood.
One way of identifying your trigger is through psychotherapy. If you find out about your triggers, it might be easier for you to work through them.
Bringing Distractions
Find an enjoyable activity for you that can help reduce your anxiety. It might be movies and video games for some or puzzles and books for others. Whatever activity gets you distracted, it is a good thing to bring it with you. These can help you stray away from negative thoughts by changing your focus on more positive things.
Taking Medications
If you have already tried therapy and other preplanning, but found no progress, you might want to consider taking medication. The commonly prescribed medications that can ease anxiety are antidepressants and benzodiazepines. These medications can provide you with immediate relief. For long term treatment, you might want to consider taking SSRIs or ‘selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.’
Traveling with Your Friends
If you have problems traveling alone, you can ask your friends to come with you. If you have a travel buddy, there are many activities you can enjoy with them. Traveling with someone you know can make you feel more comfortable when it comes to trying out new activities. You can also try joining travel groups and make new friends along the way. For the best deals on travel gear, check out Couponlawn.
Conclusion
Traveling with anxiety can prevent you from enjoying your much-awaited trip. You can reduce these negative emotions by preparing a lot beforehand and distracting yourself with something you enjoy. Medication and psychotherapy may help you overcome this. Make sure to consult a mental health professional to learn more about travel anxiety and how you can fight it.