How to Deal with Travel Anxiety
Anxiety during the trip can strike even those who are always confident in themselves and their actions. It is very useful from time to time to get out of your routine and find yourself in a new place, at least in order to lie down on a sun lounger by the pool for a whole week. But few people manage to avoid the troubles associated with the trip: delayed flights, searches at customs, lack of navigation in the subway, language barrier, and concern about loved ones you leave unattended. Here are a few steps – they should be done before the trip so that you can really enjoy your vacation.
Think through the logistics
Anyone with increased anxiety will feel better if they know exactly where they will go tomorrow. Plan all your routes in advance, long before the trip. Make a list of places you would like to visit: restaurants, museums, parks, and concerts. Contact the rental service in advance to hire, for example, BMW Dubai, and to be sure that all the paperwork will be done by your arrival and your perfect hired vehicle will be waiting for you! Nowadays rental providers can give absolutely fantastic driving experiences at an affordable price.
Do all this preparatory work to be sure that you will not get lost and will not waste a minute in vain, focusing on your rest.
Get insurance
Make sure you have insurance for the entire duration of your trip. It may seem that this will not be useful to you, because you have a strong immune system and you are not going to get into trouble, but this mistake can cost you very much. Even the fact that you don’t have to spend money on medical expenses, which are quite high in most countries, will already reduce your anxiety.
Write it all down
While planning a trip, get a handy notebook diary, in which you will be able to write down and paste important information. Save yourself from the fear of forgetting the address of the hotel, the time of departure home, and other important information. Write down a few important phrases that may be useful to you – as in a tourist phrasebook, all dates and prices.
Be prepared to panic
If you are prone to panic attacks, it is worth considering in advance how you will deal with attacks on the trip. Check if you have already mastered all the techniques to combat anxiety – deep breathing, visualisation, meditation, everything that will help you feel the ground under your feet. Work out relaxation techniques a week before your trip, because regular practice is the key to you spending your vacation with positive thoughts.
Prioritise
Plan what you are going to do on the trip not according to the principle of convenience, but according to the priority of importance. Have you dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower or Burj Khalifa or some other attractions for years? Set this task on the first day after arrival. Even if some kind of trouble happens a few days after the start of the trip or you will not be able to keep up with important events, you will know that at least you have already done what gave birth to the idea of this trip at all.
Keep in mind that everything can go wrong
Mentally repeat the phrase: “Anxiety is a necessary and even useful part of the journey.” Rest so that you will never have to face stress, most likely, it will not work. Everything can go wrong, your friends are able to let you down, the hotel will be located by the railway, and the luggage will take off only on a flight later. As soon as you decide that everything is lost, your trip will cease to bring pleasure.
Instead of plunging into this stress, think about what you will take control of – this will help avoid the feeling that you are not ready for anything. Admit that everything can go wrong – and with a high probability, everything will go even better than you expect.