Hello my lovely! How have you been? Can you believe it’s the end of September already!? It’s as though time has decided to speed up. Given the covid situation, anxiety seems to something that most people are experiencing. In today’s post I’m sharing ways to manage travel anxiety post covid. Gone are the days where your biggest concern was whether your train or flight was going to be delayed. We’re in a new era and this naturally can cause a few anxious heart flutters.
Ways to Manage Travel Anxiety Post Covid
Acknowledge This is What You Feel
Before you can even begin to solve any issue, you need to acknowledge that you have anxious feelings about travelling. I will admit that despite wanting to travel so bad these past few months, I have been feeling anxious about the whole process. I looked at flights of places I wanted to visit so I can use my vouchers and each time, it just didn’t happen. It wasn’t until I asked myself, ”what is really stopping me from pressing the button?” It was anxiety around not travelling for almost 2 years and the unknown. For me once I acknowledged what I was feeling, it disspated, not completely but enough to book flights and accommodation. But most importantly, feel excited again about exploring somewhere new. You don’t need to tell anyone but, how about taking a few minutes and journalling what you really feel?
Research, Research and do Some More
The old adage, ”knowledge is power” can be really helpful for managing travel anxiety. If you want to visit X destination, looking into how to get there, costs, what to do and what the covid restrictions are, can give you a sense of control. Not control over something or someone else but over what you do know. When you do know then you can plan, which can be fun if you allow it to be. That sense of fun can turn into excitement and pretty soon, the anxiety isn’t the main focus.
Baby Steps
Your desire for what you want to do needs to be encouraged to grow. Taking baby steps regularly can help with this growth. It can be something simple as taking a day trip to somewhere nearby, either by train or you may decide to drive it. Or, how about that art exhibition that you’ve wanted to see? I went to see Yayoi Kusama at the Tate Modern and it was inspirational. Taking baby steps out of your comfort zone will not only build that desire but it will help you grow. In 6 months time, you will look back and be amazed at how far you’ve come.
Just do it!
This suggestion isn’t going to work for everyone as one of the ways to manage travel anxiety post covid. Sometimes once you’ve acknowledged that you are feeling anxious, taking the plunge can help. It’s a bit like pulling the band aid off fast to get it over and done with. Once you’ve done it, you might realise that it isn’t as bad as we imagine it to be. Different? For sure but it might be completely doable.
These are my ways to manage travel anxiety post covid because lets face it, life has changed and we need to acknowledge that. We also need to be kinder and gentler on ourselves whilst we adjust to the transition. If you feel like your anxiety post covid is less manageable and you need some extra support, try here, here and here.
As always, thanks for reading and let me know how you’re coping with travel anxiety post covid in the comments below. I’d also be grateful if you were to sign up for my newsletter, its free and you only get it once a month!
Until next time, be well! x