What Is Travel Anxiety? Effective Ways to Combat It

Posted on: Sep 29, 2023 | | Written by:

What Is Travel Anxiety? Effective Ways to Combat It

Published on September 29, 2023. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

Though travelling can be a great way to relax, have fun and experience new things, it can trigger anxiety in a lot of individuals. While some get overwhelmed with the idea and plans and all the upcoming things, others experience panic attacks during their travels. Travel anxiety can happen to anyone and at any time. However, there are a few travel anxiety symptoms, which will help you identify in advance and take precautionary measures. In addition to these symptoms, considering travel insurance can also provide peace of mind, ensuring you have support and coverage in case of unexpected events.

What is travel anxiety?

Travel anxiety comes into the picture when a person might feel anxious about an upcoming travel or might want to avoid travelling due to certain fears. People who already have anxiety issues might find travel to trigger certain symptoms.

There are a lot of reasons which can trigger such reactions on plans of travelling. And fortunately, there are a few symptoms as well.

Anxiety symptoms

There are a few travel anxiety symptoms that you can identify on close observation. The following are some examples.

1. If you feel more irritated than usual before an upcoming trip and feel quite stressed about planning the entire trip.

2. If you are unable to focus on work and are constantly distracted by thoughts and uncertainties of upcoming trips.

3. If you find it difficult to sleep or your sleep is constantly disrupted due to thoughts of anxiety.

4. If you are constantly checking your itinerary and details of the trip with the fear of missing out on some details or constantly trying to ask people for reassurance about the plan.

While these are common travel anxiety symptoms, there can be other symptoms as well.

What causes anxiety about travel?

There can be a number of things that can trigger travel anxiety in an individual. However, the triggers can be different for all individuals. Some individuals might have travel anxiety for all their life, while others might just instantly find themselves with travel anxiety without any reason. Here are some common reasons that might cause anxiety due to travelling.

1. Flying

Anxiety due to travel is usually triggered due to flights. And this fear can be due to several reasons, right including mid-air turbulence, fear of take-off and landing, feeling claustrophobia inside the aeroplane, fear of the flight crashing and the very idea of flying so far above the ground.

2. Travel stories

Reading or hearing about a lot of crimes, mishaps or injuries during travel can also be another reason for travel anxiety. Such incidents can heavily impact your psychological health and you might associate travel with tragedies.

3. Comfort zone

Travelling can push you out of your comfort zone and it can be quite stressful for some individuals. If you are someone who isn’t too comfortable outside their home, there are chances of feeling anxious during or prior to travel. When this fear gets to extreme levels, some people also find themselves fearful of public spaces as well.

4. Anxiety during a trip

Not all anxiety issues can arise prior to taking off. Some people even become anxious mid-way during a trip or after reaching a destination. They worry about a lot of things such as accommodation, jetlag, commute to different places, worrying about funds lasting the entire trip or the sheer discomfort of being in a new and unfamiliar place, or even a new language.

5. Structure of brain

There have been a few studies and scientists have identified that there is a linkage between genetics and anxiety. If you have experienced anxiety in adulthood or prior to that, there can be some changes to your brain.

Tips to help overcome anxiety about travelling

Now that you know what is travel anxiety and what are some of the symptoms as well as causes, it is only pertinent to be aware of the tips to overcome them. Here are some ways to overcome your travel anxiety.

1. Identifying trigger points

It can be quite helpful to identify the triggers which can lead to travel anxiety. Once you are aware of certain triggers, you can take precautionary steps to avoid them. Preparing for these scenarios will prevent you from getting any sort of panic attacks. In some extreme cases, you can even take the help of psychotherapy.

2. Delegate work in your absence

Leaving behind work at home can cause anxiety for a lot of individuals. If it is the case for you, it might be sensible to plan for your time away. You can ask a friend to check up on the family or pets or the house at regular intervals or even hire a house sitter for the duration. They can help you take care of the responsibilities in your absence.

3. Travelling with friends

Some people might get anxious about travelling alone to a new place. In such situations, you can consider travelling with a friend or taking a travel buddy along. Once you have company, your fear of travelling alone and having to face a lot of uncertainty will reduce to a large extent. It might even help you open up and explore the new location in a better way.

4. Use distractions

There might be a few activities that can help you reduce your anxiety. If you are aware of these activities, it might be helpful to use them as distraction techniques to get through turbulent times. These activities might include watching a movie, playing games, solving puzzles, reading a book, etc. Irrespective of what the activity is, you can plan to carry it along on your trip. Happy distractions will keep you away from being distracted.

5. Play out scenarios

Uncertainty about a new place can trigger anxiety in a lot of individuals. A lot of what-if types of questions can stress individuals. In such cases, it might be a good idea to plan for some of these what-if questions. For example, what if you get lost, what if you run out of money, what if you need medical attention, what if you are in some locality where people only know the local language, etc?

When you prepare for such scenarios, it is quite possible that your anxiety related to them might reduce. Buying overseas travel insurance is another way of preparing for travel anxiety. Overseas travel insurance will safeguard you against a few uncertainties. Uncertainties such as loss of baggage, medical attention, flight delays or cancellations, etc. If you aren't too sure, you can search online for the best travel insurance and buy one that meets your travel needs.

Conclusion

Being aware of what is travel anxiety is the first step in trying to understand and prevent yourself from getting panic attacks. Above are some ways in which you can avoid getting anxious about an upcoming trip and a few tips to help overcome. If you are travelling with family, buying family travel insurance is one of the most effective ways of resting some of your anxious thoughts about unknowns.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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