Dealing With Travel Anxiety: 5 Tried and Tested Tips

Travel Anxiety

Traveling is the best way to explore the world. It is to learn things that cannot be found in any book. But there is a negative side to traveling too. Many people suffer from travel anxiety which takes away from their experience. Travel anxiety can happen to even seasoned travelers. Anxiety is a psychological issue that can be dealt with with a little mental preparation and understanding of the triggers. Many people have been traveling extensively despite the initial anxiety jitters. Here we will explore the 5 of the tried and tested ways to prevent anxiety from taking away from your travel experiences.  

1. Convince yourself that everything is safe 

Anxiety and stress are both triggered by psychological cues. These can be different for different people. Some people begin experiencing anxiousness as soon as they smell a certain odor that is connected with a previous stressful episode. For many people, certain chemicals in foods, or drinks can also trigger a similar anxiety response. For the majority of travelers, safety concern is the major reason people become excessively anxious.

So, one way to prevent anxiety is to mentally convince yourself that everything is going to be safe. Thousands of people are making road trips and going on tours every day. It happens without the majority of them being involved in any major mishap. Convince yourself that it is completely safe to travel. Nothing will go wrong if you plan everything beforehand. Once your mind is settled and prepared for the trip, there will be fewer reasons to be anxious.   

2. Plan everything in advance and have redundancies in place 

Having a proper plan for everything in place beforehand can make a huge difference in calming your mind and avoiding stress. If you are planning to travel by motorcycle, calculate the fuel expenses. Have enough cash ready for the trip. Book your hotel rooms in advance. So that there isn’t any chance of things going Hayward. Given the changed scenario after the pandemic, accommodation availability has become scarcer. You might want to book the hotel rooms at least 1 month in advance, or even earlier. Have redundancies in place.

Book two accommodations so that even if the first hotel closes down for some reason, you still have a back-up plan to stay the night safely. Similarly, you can also have a backup plan for everything else. Assure yourself that even if the primary plan fails you still have the safety net of a secondary backup. Speaking of redundancies, you should also have a second motorcycle helmet in your motorcycle side luggage boxes. It will be useful if the primary piece becomes damaged for some reason. Also, always invest in the best premium motorcycle helmet with the relevant safety certifications that are applicable in your country.  

3. Keep yourself distracted 

Anxiety can compound itself very quickly if you let it take over. One simple way to prevent the mind from running away with the negative thoughts and bogging you down is to keep yourself amply distracted from the negative thoughts. You can do it by cultivating positive practices. It may be writing a travel journal, making a travel video for your YouTube channel. Or, something of the similar kind, that you stay oblivious from the negative aspects. These are common in every travel and occupy yourself with something productive.

The second way to distract yourself from the negativity is to give yourself an assignment. Give it whenever you have free time after your rides/drives. If there is nothing you can think of talking to someone you know will be able to help you calm your mind.  

4. Plan for the worst-case scenarios 

Anxiety can start becoming a real problem when your mind starts imagining the worst of everything. If that sounds familiar, a smart way to solve that problem is to think of every worst-case scenario and pre-plan a solution for everything. Here are some scenarios that are common to cause anxiety in travelers: 

a) What if I run out of money? 

Have at least 30% of your overall travel budget as an emergency fund and don’t touch it until there is a real emergency. You can have some of it in cash and the rest in the bank that you can withdraw using a bank card. Having the safety net of an insurance coverage to deal with emergency out of pocket expenses can also help you in avoiding the anxiety attacks.  

b) What if my motorcycle has a mechanical problem? 

Consider taking a motorcycle that is in good mechanical shape and condition. If the motorcycle has been in use for several years at an end and you are not too sure of whether it can withstand the challenges of being on the road, consider renting a better motorcycle, or invest in a new one. Now, irrespective of whether your motorcycle is new or old, you need to service it periodically and get preemptive repairs to prevent it from being in debilitating mechanical problem.

Also, depending on the distance you plan to travel during the trip, choose the appropriate machine. A 100CC motorcycle can get you places, but you won’t be reaching anywhere fast and the motorcycle will have endured an excessive mechanical stress that could lead to permanent damage later on.  

c) What if I become sick during the trip? 

Health problems during a road trip is a valid concern that can become the cause for anxiety in many people. Even if you are completely healthy, seating on a motorcycle for several hours at an end can lead to backaches and other orthopedic problems which you need to account for.

Consider investing in a handlebar riser so that you don’t to lean too way forward or get a gel-seat which will make it easier for you to stay seated for longer hours without becoming uncomfortable. Get a through health-checkup before heading out on a trip, and get yourself a comprehensive health insurance plan that covers everywhere from normal sickness and accidental injuries. 

5. Meditation & Medication 

And finally, you have the option of meditation which is to be very effective when it comes to relieving anxiety and stress in people. Learn a few basic meditation techniques that can make an immediate impact on your mental health in the long run and also help you deal with short-term anxiety very effectively. A few simple breathing techniques should be enough to help you deal with travel anxiety.