How I Deal with Travel Anxiety

Our Research TravelingMom shares about her own struggles as a travel blogger that suffers from travel anxiety. Some would say that the two (travel blogging and travel anxiety) can’t peacefully co-exist, but she shares with us how she has overcome what some consider a crippling struggle. As with most situations, some days are better than others but learning how to deal effectively is the key to the situation.

I am a travel blogger and I suffer from travel anxiety. I know, it is totally crazy. You see I adore traveling; it is my absolute favorite thing to do. I enjoy spending time with my family all while enjoying a new destination. The one-on-one time with my kids does us all so much good.

There is only one catch. I often am brought to my knees by my anxiety. It manifests itself in a wide variety of ways but the anxiety is a ever present part of our trips in some way. That being said I have found some ways to get through it and enjoy still enjoy the trip. Here’s what works for me:

Breathe – When my mind starts racing and the “what ifs” start creeping in, deep breathing often does wonders for my anxiety. Even counting to 100 really slowly can sometimes do the trick. If you have the time to slip away from the noise and chaos of a situation, take advantage of that. If I can slip away, I like to write down what I am worried about. Seeing my worries (irrational or otherwise) written down on paper helps ‘right size them.’ Sometimes when I see them written down I laugh at how worked up I had gotten.

Sleep – Being a parent means that often we aren’t able to get the amount of sleep that we need. My momma always said that things seem worse at night. Oh how true this is! Taking an all natural supplement like melatonin (if your doctor says it is ok!) on occasion when I am really suffering helps to get me the rest that I need so that I can wake up the morning with a clear head. That’s a huge help!

Make phone calls– I hate to get dark, but if my husband and I are traveling without our children, my anxiety gets to a very high level. Don’t get me wrong, I love the one-on-one time with my husband, but I start thinking about accidents that could leave my children orphaned. Told you that I was getting dark, sorry. When my mind goes to this place hearing the voices of the people that I love help reel things back in for me.

Have a good support system – I have a girlfriend that totally understands my weirdness and she humors me. The best part is that she lives right next door. So if I wake up panicky that the house is on fire while I’m away from home, a quick text from her helps me to take a breath and reset. Being able to talk to those that are caring for your pets or your home is very very valuable.

Take the time to enjoy the little moments of trip – Sometimes when I am suffering from anxiety focusing on just the next few minutes instead of the trip instead of the bigger picture helps. If I focus on a task like finding a beautiful seashell or a local coffee shop to kick back with my family, I can generally get myself focused back down!

I know that it sounds silly to have these issues while traveling, especially when I love it so much, but acknowledging that it is happening instead of white knuckling through has made a huge difference for me.