Anxious About Your Holiday Travel Plans? Experts Say These 6 Strategies Can Help

For instance, if you’ve gotten lost or sick while traveling before, then it’s very natural to feel anxious about that happening again, says Cook. It’s also possible that a parent or close loved one experienced travel anxiety, and it was modeled for you while growing up or during your initial exposure to travel.

Travel anxiety can manifest in a number of different ways, depending on the root cause and an individual’s past experiences with travel. But the symptoms usually pop up before or during a trip, and can range from mental to physical. “Cognitively, the person might have worry thoughts, catastrophic thinking, or thoughts about worst case scenarios,” says Skolnick. “Physiologically, the person might feel tension, rapid heart rate, shallow breathing, sweaty palms, and/or headaches.”

To stave off these symptoms, some people might avoid going on trips all together, seek alternative methods to get somewhere (i.e. taking a train instead of a plane, for those that fear flying), or highly micromanage the trip in order to gain a sense of control.

The good news: Just because travel anxiety hits you in the TSA line does not mean you need to stay home or suffer through what should be a relaxing vacation. Getting a grasp on your potential triggers and addressing them accordingly can help open up a world of more comfortable, enjoyable travel experiences.

To overcome travel anxiety, first identify your fears regarding travel.

Be really honest with yourself, and try to get clear on what triggers you before and during a trip. Is it the fear of the unknown? Worries over trip logistics? Concerns about safety? Fear of specific situations (like flying)? Leaving work or family obligations behind? Chances are, you’re not anxious about travel itself, but a very specific aspect (or two) of the overall experience. Identifying these triggers is the first step towards managing travel anxiety. From there, consider some of these therapist-backed tips on how to ease your travel anxiety.

1. Come up with a plan.

If your brain cycles through endless “what ifs” before a trip, Cook recommends actually facing those stressful scenarios head on. Think of the absolute worst thing that could happen (yes, really), and then come up with a clear plan on how you would handle it. For example: Are you anxious about getting lost in a country where you don’t speak the language? Then before your trip, take some time to learn a couple key phrases that could help you get out of a sticky situation. Before your trip, you can also check out a map of your destination, to help you get better acclimated to the area.

Are you stressed that your luggage will get lost? Keep an extra change of clothes in your carry-on bag as a backup. Worried about missing your flight? Get to the airport an extra hour early, to ease any worry. Simply devising a solution can rob that negative thought of its power, and allow you to feel more confident heading into a trip.

In these instances, Skolnick also suggests picturing the best case scenario, as well. Then consider: Which is more likely to happen? (Hint: It’s probably the positive option.)

It’s worth noting that if your travel anxiety centers around something you have absolutely no control over (such as worries over a plane crashing), then work on a plan to self-soothe before takeoff. Maybe that looks like putting on a sleep mask, or popping in headphones and listening to a guided meditation—whatever the technique, figure out what works best for you.

2. Create your toolbox.

Feeling prepared can help diffuse anxious thoughts before and during travel. Cook always tells her clients to bring a “Mary Poppins” bag of travel essentials—motion sickness medications, eye masks, etc. “We often fantasize about travel being this glamorous thing, but it’s not always comfortable and it can be really difficult,” she says. “So give yourself the permission and grace to be comfortable while traveling.”

3. Find ways to feel your best.

Being away from home and your regular routine can be pretty dysregulating, which is why Cook recommends finding ways to set yourself up for success. That means starting each day of your trip with a nourishing breakfast, staying hydrated, and keeping high-protein snacks on hand (letting your blood sugar drop can make anxiety symptoms worse).

You can also schedule time each day to do whatever helps you feel grounded and calm, says Chloe Carmichael, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety. Take a nap, journal, try out a local yoga class, book a massage, or even carve out a bit of time for breathing exercises.

And, in moments of high stress, try relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation—which involves tensing muscle groups in your body for five to ten seconds, then relaxing, starting with your feet and working up to your face—along with deep diaphragmatic breathing, says Skolnick. “Mindfulness can also help you notice thoughts without getting caught up in them. It allows you to watch thoughts go by without spiraling.”

4. Book your trip well in advance.

Give yourself plenty of time to make whatever arrangements you need for a trip in order to feel prepared, says Carmichael. Maybe that means booking your flights a year in advance, and then beginning the day-to-day scheduling when you’re six months out. To keep yourself from going overboard with research, though, budget a certain amount of time (whether that’s a cap of thirty minutes a day, or maybe three hours a week) to work on the itinerary, she suggests.

If you get anxious about the planning process itself, however, you may want to consider seeking help from a travel agent. “For some people, having that extra person there that knows your preferences, makes the reservations, and maybe even makes the decisions for you can be really beneficial,” says Carmichael.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Beyond potentially seeking assistance from a travel agent, it can be helpful to ask for support from others in order to make your travel experience more manageable. That might mean letting your travel companion know you get anxious on flights, so you’d appreciate them chatting with you through takeoff, says Cook. Or maybe it’s collaborating on a schedule that allocates time for you to recharge at your hotel room. Whatever the case, “don’t feel like you gotta go at it alone,” she says.

6. Try therapy.

In many cases, therapy can be an incredibly valuable way to help overcome travel anxiety, says Skolnick. “Cognitive behavioral therapy, in particular, can be very helpful in treating travel anxiety,” she says. “This is a short-term treatment that helps you understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and learn to decrease unhelpful behaviors as well as practice more adaptive ways of coping.”

Therapy may be especially crucial if your anxiety is taking up a significant amount of your energy, or interfering with your social life, work, or school, says Skolnick.

When To See A Doctor

If you get panic attacks before or during travel, Cook highly recommends seeking help from a medical professional, like a therapist or psychiatrist, as that may be more indicative of a phobia or PTSD reaction. Or, if you’re having physical symptoms like vomiting because you’re so anxious, then that’s a sign you need additional support. “There’s no shame in that at all, you just need a little extra help navigating it,” she says.

At the end of the day, the root of travel anxiety is uncertainty. “A lot of folks who struggle with anxiety want control—but you cannot control travel,” says Cook. While the unknown can be scary, finding ways to embrace it can ensure you don’t miss out on some pretty magical experiences.

Kristine Thomason is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience creating content for print and digital publications. Previously, she was the health and fitness director at mindbodygreen, and the fitness and wellness editor at Women’s Health. Kristine’s work has appeared in Men’s Health, Travel + Leisure, Health, and Refinery29, among others. She holds a journalism degree from New York University, and is certified in personal training by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).