The entire idea of traveling and taking a vacation for most people is to reduce stress. Unfortunately, what can sometimes end up happening is that you become even more stressed on vacation, and you don’t enjoy it. There are so many reasons you might feel stress or anxiety when you travel. Maybe you’re driving in an unfamiliar place and dealing with aggressive drivers on the roadways. You might fly to your destination and worry about delays or canceled flights. You could feel stress because of the costs of your trip. Maybe you’re trying to please an entire family with your itinerary, all of whom have different interests.
The following are some tips and things to keep in mind to reduce travel stress so you can reap the benefits of vacation.
Do Your Research
The more unexpected things you encounter when you travel, the more likely you are to feel anxious. While you can’t predict everything, when you do your research ahead of time, you’ll know what to expect. For example, right now, every country and many cities have varying rules for COVID-19 vaccines, how you show proof of vaccination and also testing requirements. While these change quickly, the more research you do well in advance of your trip, the more prepared you’re going to be. When you’re prepared, you’re less likely to run into a situation that could spell disaster for your vacation.
Create a file of everything you’re going to need for your trip, and keep digital copies on your phone as well. For example, print out your reservations, meal plans, vaccination and testing results, and confirmations for anything else you’re going to do. Go through and snap pictures of each of these, too, if you don’t have internet access and can’t pull them up on your phone any other way.
A good idea is also to have enough time. Unexpected events are stressing if you don’t have time to deal with them. If you have plenty of time they can be just another adventure. So if you can, keep your schedule loose and have some spare time.
Plan Itineraries
If you’re someone who tends to feel a lot of stress on vacations and when you travel, you might find that what works best for you is planning a pretty detailed itinerary. Some people feel like that takes the fun out of a vacation, but if you know what to expect and how you’re going to spend your time, you might feel more in control. When you feel in control, you’ll feel less stressed. It’s okay to have a set plan for your trip. That doesn’t mean you don’t have some wiggle room or expect that not everything will go according to plan, but having at least a rough outline will ensure you see and do all the things you’re most interested in.
Pack Light
It sounds simple and maybe a little silly but packing light is so important to reduce your stress. When you pack light, you don’t have to worry as much about dragging huge luggage around, spending more money on your flights, or helping your kids with their massive bags.
Packing light is going to help you feel freer, even if you aren’t flying. You’re going to be less burdened, your hotel room won’t be as messy when you unpack, and if you are flying, you might be able to carry everything on.
When you choose baggage, try to keep your hands free as much as possible when you’re navigating airports. For example, put as much as you can in a backpack and fanny pack, and then use a smaller bag with wheels for everything else.
Don’t Do Things You Don’t Want to Do
So often, when it comes to traveling, we book things because we think we should or because they’re trendy. If everyone’s going skiing on your Instagram feed, but you hate the cold, don’t do it.
It’s okay to do what you like, even if it’s not the most in-style type of trip. The more you do that you don’t like, the more stress you’re going to feel.
If your idea of a great vacation is going somewhere with a beach and sitting on a lounge chair for seven days straight then do it.
Use Cash
Finally, traveling is incredibly expensive, and you’re only about halfway through with your spending by the time you make it on the actual trip. Start setting aside an account with cash that you can use when you’re on your trip. Then, you don’t have to feel as guilty about racking up credit card debt or buying things you can’t afford. Of course, you need to be careful when traveling with cash, but you’re going to feel better if you set limits for yourself so you don’t overspend.