Travel Anxiety
A few weeks ago, I loaded up my car and headed to the desert. I had been teaching from home for over a year and it was time to go on a drive.
A long one.
Upon my arrival in the desert, I realized that I conquered my anxiety by driving two days away from my haven, which I call my home.
I was the driver of my struggle bus.
Yes, I was in control.
Here's the thing, when you develop a relationship with your anxiety (meaning you know all about it through personal awareness) you tend to know what triggers it to come back to visit you.
Kinda like that stupid fly that keeps attacking your food when you're outside in the summertime.
Or an unwanted, unplanned, visitor who is more annoying than all the SPAM calls and or junk emails you get into your inbox each day.
Always there.
No end in sight.
I can say that I felt the anxious presence attempting to land its negative thoughts and override my mindset with "what if" scenarios and fake news alerts. Thankfully, I was able to manage the fear and feelings of anxiousness by applying coping skills.
I was the driver of my struggle bus.
And successful drivers of struggle busses use coping skills to help them move through uncomfortable feelings.
An affirmation I used was "It's ok everyone feels scared, I am safe."
I also listened to Audible and rocked out to 90's West Coast rap songs until we arrived in Sin City.
Thank you, Tupac and Biggie.
However, traveling isn't always an easy adventure for me to endure.
The worst travel anxiety symptoms appear when I fly alone.
So today, I wanted to share tips to help guide you into feeling comfortable while managing your feelings of anxiousness when traveling.
On a plane, train, boat, or automobile these tips can help you.
Tips can also become coping skills for you.
All you have to do is pick one and try!
I will share with you my travel anxiety. The dreaded scenario of Julia traveling alone on a plane.
To be honest, when I travel by plane alone, I feel a tidal wave of feelings all associated with fear.
As I mentioned before, I have a close relationship with my anxiety as I have been living scared for 35 years.
That is a very hard statement to share, but it is true. I can't be the only one in this world that feels that way. Right?
I don't know what's more terrifying to me the plane, dying alone, or both.
The symptoms gradually progress beginning the night before. The very thought of pre-flight anxiety sets in and my eating pattern changes.
My appetite disappears.
Oh, the power of the gut-brain connection is evident with my lack of appetite when anxiety sets in.
It interrupts my sleep.
The intrusive thoughts begin.
" Did you pack everything you need?"
" Remember that one time you forgot...."
" I hope you spent enough time with your kids because your plane is going to crash!"
" Make sure you set three alarms so you don't miss your flight!"
" Your bag is over the weight limit!"
"You shouldn't go, something horrible is going to happen!"
Many people with anxiety present as punctual and always on time. But, when you experience feelings of overwhelm, shame, fear, and uncertainty with a physical symptom such as knots in your stomach at the thought of being late to work or an appointment, it can leave you devastated, impaired, and or unable to function.
It's the fear, shame, guilt, and or other uncomfortable feelings that keep people that suffer from anxiety on time. For me, I get so anxious about traveling by plane that I lose track of time, and I cant make simple choices about what ticket I need to purchase, what seat to reserve, and where to park. I often rely on friends and family for help.
Sometimes I send out a quiet plea for help in the form of a simple no-brainer question all travelers ask themselves.
"If my flight leaves at 8 am, What time should I be at the airport?"
I have to ask someone to help me.
Every single time.
Finally, my overwhelmed, scared, scatterbrained, hypervigilant, overthinking brain gets to the gate, three-plus hours early. And just like clockwork, I run off to the bathroom because an anxious body and mind must empty its cargo before boarding begins.
Every single damn time.
Tips to help relieve travel anxiety:
Don't go hungry. Eat before your flight and or take snacks and water to stay hydrated.
A playlist of your favorite calming music for the plane ride.
When you begin to feel an increase in your panic access deep breathing techniques.
Wear a diaper to avoid accidents. Just kidding.
Be kind to yourself by reminding yourself that the feelings that are arising are out of feeling scared and that you will be ok.
Essential oils in a roll-on for easy application. Inhale the scent and incorporate it into deep breathing to calm.
Fidget to hold in your hand: putty or oversized ring to spin on your finger. You can purchase many handheld-sized fidgets online.
Before the pandemic, I would travel a lot. I just became used to the weird things that I felt. I am happy to share this with you in hopes that it can help you feel less alone. I believe you can use these in any setting to help you stay calm.
I've used the above tips and have survived each flight alone.
I have yet to shit my pants.
I know these tips can help you too!
Follow me on Instagram @ findinghermentalwellness
Check out my podcast Finding Her here.