One of the many purposes of travel is to reduce stress and feel relaxed in your own skin. But, of course, that doesn’t always happen. Travel can leave you feeling burned out and, sometimes, feeling grateful that you’re finally back to work.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce travel stress. These strategies reduce the tension associated with going from one place to another and let you enjoy a purer form of the experience.
PACK SMART
First, you’ll want to pack smart. Going light but also bringing all the things you need with you is one of the best ways to avoid stress.
For example, you might want to leave your blender at home and bring various travel accessories and toiletries with you instead. A travel bag is also handy with first-aid items, snacks, and earplugs if you’re going to be on a long flight.
You also want to weigh your luggage before you go to the airport to avoid any unexpected fees. Otherwise, you might have to pay the extra cost out of pocket, and airlines tend to charge a lot.
PLAN AHEAD
You also want to plan ahead whenever you arrange travel instead of trying to do everything last-minute, when they can go wrong. For example, don’t book accommodation and leave flight booking until the last minute. Likewise, register your interest in key activities before you travel so you know you can get a spot and enjoy whatever you are travelling for.
If you can, it’s also helpful to create a loose itinerary. These tell you what you should be doing every day, providing you with a plan. You can still improvise if that’s what you want to do, but an itinerary ensures that you do most of what you want to do.
Finally, you want to research your destinations before you travel. Usually, there is something you should know, whether it is avoiding disease or obeying local laws. Don’t skip this step because doing so can lead you to wish you’d never travelled in the first place.
MASTER AIRPORT NAVIGATION
You can also reduce travel stress by becoming a master of airport navigation. Getting to grips with the process makes the whole thing so much easier.
For example, before you arrive, use sites like Parking Up to arrange where you’ll keep the car. Secured car parks are usually the best option for two-week trips.
You should also arrive at least two or three hours early for international flights. It takes time to check in baggage and go through security.
If there are extra security checks at the airport in question, you may need to arrive even earlier. Yes, it’s a pain, but at least it means you can get everything done on time.
If your airline has an app, you can also help to download and start using this. It provides updated information on flight times and can also tell you about any delays or cancellations. Furthermore, you can update your in-flight preferences on some of these apps, like where you want to sit.
MANAGE JET LAG
Of course, if you travel regularly, you also want to develop strategies that help you manage jet lag and improve it over time. Since you’re different from everyone else, the strategies you use will also need to change.
For example, one approach is to adjust your sleep schedule over a few days before you travel. If the clocks are behind your current location, then going to bed early is a good idea, as it means you can go to bed at a reasonable time when you arrive. The same applies if the destination is forward in time ahead of you.
If you can, avoid consuming any heavy meals while travelling. Aeroplane food is usually okay, but you might want to stick with vegetable dishes instead of focusing on meat.
Limiting alcohol and caffeine is also useful for some people. Reducing the intoxicants and stimulants in your body allows you to adjust to more natural sleep patterns.
MANAGE YOUR PERSONAL HYGIENE
At the same time, you’ll want to think of ways to manage your personal hygiene. It can be hard to do things like clean your teeth or wash your face when travelling, so bringing extra bits and pieces with you is handy.
For example, you might need to bring hand sanitisers and wipes with you. A face mask might also be necessary in crowded locations, like foreign airports. These keep you feeling more comfortable and can sometimes reduce the stress you feel.
STAY CONNECTED
If you’re someone who relies on their devices while travelling, you’ll also want to take precautions to ensure you stay connected on your trip. You don’t want to be in a situation where your phone runs out of battery and you have no ability to get in touch with anyone.
For this reason, many people take portable chargers with them. These are handy when there aren’t any charging options on public transport. That’s rare these days, but it can happen if you’re going somewhere remote.
Spare batteries are also useful. These simply connect to your devices and power them up, even if their onboard cells run flat.
If you can share what you plan to do with someone back home, that’s also useful. Telling them where you’ll be and plan to visit is useful.
MANAGE YOUR MINDSET
Of course, a large part of reducing stress while travelling is managing your mindset. If you can get your head in the right place, everything else often seems to go the way you want.
There are several practical things you can do on this front. One is to bring comfortable clothes with you so you don’t feel stifled while on the flight. If you’re travelling for a business meeting, you can always get changed using items in your hand luggage.
Noise-cancelling headphones are another comfort hack worth considering. These actually emit sound waves to neutralise incoming noises, protecting your ears and allowing you to listen to sounds at low volume.
As for dealing with your mind directly, you’ll want to remind yourself that when you travel, things can and will go wrong–that’s all part of the process. When this happens, your job is to accept what happens. You can’t always control the environment.
If you struggle to stay calm, you can try to manage every aspect of your itinerary in advance, but the best policy is usually to just practice allowing things to unfold. Even if flights are delayed or you can’t get transport to a specific destination, it usually isn’t the end of the world.
HANDLE YOUR MONEY WISELY
Finally, you can reduce stress before travelling by handling your money more wisely. Notifying your bank of your travel plans and carrying some cash with you is always a good idea.
If you can find credit cards that won’t charge you for using them in foreign countries, that’s even better. Usually, you’ll have to set up a special account, but these are almost always worth it.
If you can keep digital backups of critical documents, that’s always essential. These include things like passports and tickets, just in case you lose yours.
So there you have it: some pro tips on how you can reduce travel stress. It’s worth remembering that everyone is different in this regard, so what causes you stress might not be the same as what causes someone else. The trick is to manage your emotions and expect the unexpected. After all, that’s what real travel and adventure are all about.
