Travelling with Anxiety – 7 Tips for Anxious Travellers

Travelling abroad and experiencing new cultures can be an exciting time for some but for those travelling with anxiety, it can a terrible ordeal. It is estimated that 5% of the UK population suffers from generalised anxiety disorder {GAD} which is most common in women and is a type of anxiety that is long term and not specific to one thing. Everyone at one point in their lives has been anxious about something, personally, I have suffered from anxiety at different stages in my life, this is completely normal. 

Anxiety is often the main symptom of several conditions including phobias, panic disorders and much more, for some people travelling with anxiety can be absolute torture. That, however, does not mean it is impossible to travel with anxiety, in fact, it is the total opposite. There are several ways that people travelling with anxiety can have a lovely vacation without going into full panic mode. In this post, we aim to educate you on 7 simple ways that anxious travellers can still travel and enjoy their holiday. 

Disclaimer – I am NOT a qualified physician and therefore recommend you seek guidance from your own physician. Information shared in this post was researched, from personal experience and from people close to me.

Travelling with Anxiety – 7 Tips for Anxious Travellers

Everyone experiences anxiety differently but even with the various challenges, it is possible to have an amazing holiday and plan another one soon after. Don’t let anxiety rob you of the chance to explore the world at large and what it has to offer, the tips we’ve shared below will support you on your journey to managing your anxiety.

As a solo traveller, I love nothing more than enabling others to try solo travelling at least once. And when travelling with anxiety I recommend you research your destination and available accommodations too. During my recent trip to Thailand, we opted to stay in Eco-friendly retreats throughout the duration of our trip.

Focus on the positive 

When you have anxiety, it is easier to focus on all the things that could possibly go wrong but if you take yourself out of that frame of mind and visualise only the positives, it can drastically help when you’re on holiday. Whenever we travel, we step out of our comfort zones, we entrust our safety to strangers and navigate unknown lands, this is all part of travelling. The best thing to do when the voices start creeping in is to focus on the positive instead.

Pack smart

Packing smart is very important, not only for those travelling with anxiety but everyone as it reduces stress and allows you to take items of use. For many years I couldn’t pack smart, I found myself getting stressed I did not pack anything of use of things that I needed the most. For anxious travellers, it pays to travel with things that help alleviate your anxiety and is most familiar to you.

Remember to breathe

This might seem silly to some but as someone who often has panic attacks on the regular whenever I am too far from home, just being reminded to breathe truly makes a difference. There are times when I am travelling and not realise that in all uncomfortable situations I almost always hold my breath. It is something I didn’t know I did until someone reminded me to breathe and told me I seem to hold my breath at times.

Purchase Travel Insurance

I can not reiterate enough how important travel insurance for everyone is and for anxious traveller its just a nice thing to know you’re covered should something happen. One important lesson I have learned in my many years of travelling, is that you can not truly plan for everything but with travel insurance, you almost certaingly can.

Reach out to friends and Family

It is good practice to let your family and close friends know about your travels when you leave home, land and where you’re staying. During the times when anxiety strikes, it’s important you reach to someone, people that you’re close with and have your best interest at heart. 

Take your medication

Whilst not everyone takes anxiety medication, if you have any medication that helps to alleviate the pain I would recommend taking it with you. Before you travel ensure you have checked your destination has no restriction on what medication you can take with you and what destination requires a doctor’s note.

Plan your itinerary 

I am a type of traveller that loves to wing it a lot when I travel but even then I still do research about my destination, what areas are a no go and where can I walk freely and safely. For the anxious travellers I would recommend planning your itinerary way ahead of time but remember not to have a jam packed schedule because when you have to rush everywhere, this can induce anxiety in some.

Travelling with anxiety can be daunting at best but with proper planning, you can have an enjoyable and memorable holiday. If you summer from anxiety, what are some of the tips you utilise to overcome anxiety and travel the world?