Have you ever struggled with insomnia, intrusive racing thoughts, or the desire to just cancel it all when you’re trying to look forward to the next trip? If this is the case, you are not alone.
Anxiety over travel, whether due to the stress of being in an airport or on an airplane, fear of flying, or anxiety about leaving home can turn the desire to travel into something to dread.
Travel anxiety can be described as the worry, nervousness, or fear related to going somewhere new or unfamiliar.
This can happen to first-time flyers and well seasoned travelers, to those traveling alone or to parents traveling with kids. In this article we will cover the signs and symptoms of travel anxiety, reasons for travel anxiety, and travel anxiety tips for coping before, during, and after travel.
Symptoms of Travel Anxiety
Travel anxiety does not always manifest in the same way for all travelers. For some perhaps a palpitating heart, or complete panic attacks, and for others an incessant loop of “what ifs”. We’ll outline some of the physical, mental and emotional travel anxiety symptoms most frequently experienced below.
Physical symptoms
Travel anxiety may manifest physically hours, days, or even weeks prior to departure. These may include:
- Insomnia or issues sleeping: You may find yourself unable to sleep the night before a trip, reviewing a mental checklist in your mind, or fretting that you’ll forget to set your alarm.
- Nausea or stomach issues: The anxiety of going on a trip can turn the butterflies in your stomach into full-fledged nausea.
- Heart racing: Your heart may race while waiting at the gate or during take off.
- Sweating: Perhaps sweaty palms while going through security or boarding.
Mental and emotional symptoms
Even if you are not experiencing physical symptoms of travel anxiety, mental and emotional symptoms can emerge. These may be:
- Catastrophizing or overthinking: Laying awake at night thinking of every conceivable delay, disruption or disaster.
- Irritability or mood swings: If you find yourself snapping at a loved one during packing or are annoyed by the smallest of bumps in the road, you may be experiencing irritability.
- Fear of losing control: Perhaps you have the dreaded sense that something will happen, and you won’t be able to handle it.
- Avoidance: Cancelling plans, delaying travel, or finding reasons not to go are well known features of the avoidance and travel anxiety.
What Causes Travel Anxiety?
There is no one reason as to why anxiety and travel frequently co-occur. For many, it originates in a combination of past experience, personal fear, and the uncertainty inherent in doing something that lies outside of one’s comfort zone.
Fear of the unknown or losing control
Travel, also, is predicated on the literal and figurative unfamiliar space one must “step into”. The uncertainty of what’s ahead is exceedingly daunting, particularly if you’re a routine-loving person.
You might miss your connections, the food will be weird, or you simply will not know how to move around in a place. The knowledge that one must do this for the first time can be paralyzing if one has never used public transport in another country. Without a plan, your brain tends to default to worst case scenarios.
Past negative travel experiences
Even a poorly traveled “bad trip” that occurred years ago can readily access this travel anxiety. Perhaps you fell ill abroad, misplaced a passport while on holiday, or had a terrifyingly bumpy flight.
Even if that was rectified, your brain still may have made the connection that travel meant danger or being uncomfortable. If you have ever missed a connecting flight, and have had to pass the night, sleepless, in a busy airport, future travel looks a bit like a game of chance …
Fear of flying or transportation issues
If the mere idea of flying gets your heart racing, you’re not alone. Travel anxiety is not uncommon; for instance, estimates note that 40% of adults experience fear of flying. And it’s not just about the crashing. Others are afraid of flight turbulence, motion sickness, claustrophobia, or the very idea of losing control in the air.
Social anxiety or traveling with others
For the socially anxious, having to travel with a group, or even a single individual, can add to the pressure of the trip. You might be concerned about your travel style, feeling like you’re slowing others down, or that you’ll need more break time. Some also feel pressure to be “fun” or “easygoing” on a trip, which can also generate internal tension. Prevention of a positive kind – learn your ways of coping with social anxiety on the run and hit the road prepared before you go on vacation with a group – it will make life easier for you and everyone else involved in group travel.
Health concerns or safety fears
Being away from home can amplify concerns around health and safety. Or, you find yourself in another country and catch a virus, have lost your medication, or need a physician?
Such anxieties are particularly prevalent among individuals who are themselves chronically ill or caretaking. Perhaps you would triple-check your prescriptions or avoid places that hold risk. These are all valid concerns and can be mitigated by being prepared and remaining calm.
How To Manage Travel Anxiety Before You Leave
It is very normal to feel nervous about a trip, regardless of how much. The good news is there are simple things you can do in advance to soothe your brain and instill confidence.
Plan ahead
Consider transportation, where you will stay, etc. and draft a flexible plan. In fact, some may even like to have every hour accounted for. In any case, the mental burden of this is alleviated by knowing what to expect.
Pack with care
Packing with some intention is good to try. Consider including things you will find useful, but also things that will make you feel good in a new environment, like a favorite hoodie, a comforting book, or some snacks from home.
If you are one who worries about forgetting something, create a checklist as a means of alleviating that anxiety.
Set expectations
Travel need not be Instagram- ideal in order to have meaning, memory or to be enjoyable. Understood that things will not be perfect, and that’s fine. It’s okay to change your mind and to take it slow.
Try visualizing a successful trip
Imagine gliding from the moment you board the plane to when you arrive at your hotel room. Simply visualizing yourself going through a high-stress situation calmly and clearly can reduce anxiety.
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