Travel Stress Need Not Be Overwhelming--Here's Help!

While travel has always been a somewhat stressful experience, in recent years increased airport security and other factors have made travel even more stressful. Whether you’re traveling for business, vacation or to see loved ones, there are simple steps you can do to reduce the travel stress of your next trip. The following tips can help:

Before You Leave For The Airport:

         Pack Smart: You can save yourself significant stress by packing wisely for your trip. Make a list of all the things you may need to bring with you, and check them off as you pack them, to better ensure that you don’t leave behind things you’ll need. Pack the night before you leave, or earlier, to avoid the stress of rushed packing, and to give yourself the opportunity to remember and pack things you may otherwise forget.And pack most of the things you will need into your luggage (rather than your carry-on bags) to reduce your chances of getting held up by security checks.

• Dress For Comfort: While passengers used to dress up for flights in days past, we now know how important it is to dress for comfort when traveling. Be sure you wear comfortable shoes (for rushing through the airport and walking to and from your car, which may need to be parked far away). Also, be sure to wear clothes that you can comfortably move in and don’t mind wearing all day. Also, be sure to bring layers if you’re traveling somewhere that has a cold climate; you’ll be warm on the airplane, but cold once you arrive.
• Take Care Of Your Body: Take your vitamins, get quality sleep the night before, and have some stress relievers on hand to decrease your chances of getting sick from the stress of travel and the germs in the re-circulated air of the airplanes. You’ll enjoy your destination considerably less if you bring illness with you.
• Plan Ahead: By being prepared, you can avoid some of the hassles that make traveling so stressful. You can stay abreast of delays by checking many airports’ websites. You can stay informed of your airports’ security measures ahead of time so you can reduce your risk of getting slowed by airport searches. You can avoid getting caught without transportation and lodging by being sure to have a car rented and hotel reserved ahead of time, if you need such things. Having as many things planned ahead of time as possible will make your trips run more smoothly.

As You Travel:

• Be Early: Allowing yourself ample time before your flight can reduce some of the stress of finding parking, checking bags, moving through security, and other aspects of travel that are much more stressful when you’re rushed. If you end up early, you can read a book or listen to music that you bring with you, or take a walk through the airport and get some exercise before you leave; if you get held up in the process of getting to your plane, at least you won’t have to worry about missing your flight, and you can be more relaxed.
• Eat Well Beforehand: Eating a healthy meal before you get to the airport can help reduce stress in several ways: you’ll avoid buying expensive airport food, you won’t have to rely on an in-flight meal (of dubious nutritional value and taste), and you won’t have to worry as much about your blood sugar levels getting imbalanced as you travel and your stress level rising as a result.
• Have a Few Quick Stress Relievers: If you get overwhelmed, breathing exercises, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and other quick stress relievers can help you feel calm more quickly so you feel less stressed overall.
• Have The Right Attitude: Rather than thinking of all this as a stressful hassle, think of it as an adventure, or at the very least, a challenge. With the right attitude (and other preparations), traveling can be much less stressful.

Additional Tips:

• Put metal items (like keys) in your carry-on bag rather than your pockets, so you won’t have to empty your pockets of them as you pass throught he airport metal detector.
• Travel early in the day; earlier flights are less likely to be delayed.
• Bring a distraction, such as an interesting new book, so delays and long flights will be an opportunity to relax.