Traveling can be a wonderful way to explore new areas and spend quality time with the family. Unfortunately, it can be an incredibly fear-inducing time for anyone who experiences travel anxiety. Travel anxiety occurs either before or during a trip and can be devastating for the person who simply wants to enjoy their time away from home and work. There are four main reasons for why a person may deal with anxiety during a trip and understanding these reasons is key to helping get over them.
Fear of Flying
One of the most common causes for fear during a trip is the fear of flying. Not only it is a relatively difficult and invasive process just to get onto the plain, but it can be suffocating to be stuck in a plane with other people for hours with no real way to escape if needed.
Fear of Sleeping in Unfamiliar Locations
Another anxiety that a person might experience when traveling is the fear of sleeping in an unfamiliar location. This might be a motel, hotel or some other type of sleeping arrangement that you might have. You might not be able to get comfortable in a bed you’ve never been in, which can cause you to deal with many sleepless nights.
Fear of Being in Crowded Places
Being in a crowded location can be anxiety producing as well. You might be used to your safe zone at home and know which stores and areas get crowded and when to avoid them. When you’re traveling, you are probably under quite a time crunch to do everything that you want to do in a short period of time, thus not being able to avoid crowds if they are present.
Fear of Money Situations
Traveling costs money and it can be frustrating and even frightening to have to worry about money issues when you’re on vacation or traveling. The fear of not having enough money to get home or to travel back to your safe zone can be disconcerting and can cause a lot of anxiety for the person involved.
In order for you to travel without fear, it is crucial that you first understand your anxiety and then take steps to help it. If you have a deep-rooted fear of traveling, you can’t expect to be cured overnight. It takes months to help the situation and develop a carefree attitude towards whatever it is that you’re afraid of. This is called CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy, and it involves taking a more carefree and flippant approach to your anxiety when dealing with even the most extreme sensations and thoughts. If your anxiety is very bad, you can also see a specialist who will be able to help you work through the fear and even prescribe medication to make traveling a little bit easier for you. By working through the anxiety, it is a whole lot easier for you to enjoy traveling and to experience all that the area has to offer to you. It’s a good idea to work on helping the anxiety both before and during the travel period.
