Hi guys, I hope you are all well. As you can see from the title this is going to be a non bookish post. Mental health is an important topic to me and so I wanted to chat about it with you guys today. I’ve been struggling with anxiety for quite a few years now and although I work on ways to improve myself, it can still can hard at times. So I wanted to talk about how I deal with my anxiety and since I’m going away I thought I’d talk about travelling with anxiety. I’ve tried diazepam as well as herbal remedies but none of them seemed to work. Instead I’ve had to find ways to manage it.

Although I love travelling and seeing new places, the process of getting there fuels a lot of anxiety for me. Normally we would fly to our destination but this year we’re having to do things a little differently. My dad had an eye operation and so he can’t fly, which means that we will be driving and catching ferries to get to Sicily. While flying is definitely more stressful for me, I’m not looking forward to being stuck in a car for a long time. For me, being stuck in one place with no way out isn’t very nice. I know we’re not flying this time but I wanted to make this post anyway. I think it is so important to have an open discussion about this.

Things that work for me:

• Be organised – I make packing list and get things together in advance.

• Music – listening to music helps me to settle into my headspace and hopefully shut out whatever is going on around me.

• Organised bag – I like to have everything I need in my handbag, from my kindle to earphones to hand cream. I also like to have a stress ball with me because a lot of my anxiety manifests itself in fidgeting hands.

• Remind myself that I’ve travelled quite a lot in the past and it’s always been fine

• Stay hydrated

• Use a stress ball – my anxiety tends to manifest itself into fidgety hand

• Wear comfy clothing while travelling

Top tips:

• Do plenty of research on your destination

• Travel during off peak season so it’s not super crowded

• Travel with someone you trust

• Don’t assume that your anxiety will hinder you

• Have all important things (e.g. ID, documents, and credit cards) in one place

• Make a packing list

• Pack some of your favourite snacks

• Distract yourself

• Be kind to yourself and don’t push yourself too hard

• Focus on your breathing, particularly if you are feeling very anxious

• Try out meditation/breathing apps such as Headspace and Calm

• Consult with a doctor and/or therapist

If you can figure out the reason behind your anxiety, because a better understanding of it will hopefully mean you can manage it better. Despite the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to travel to quite a few places in my life I still find it a very anxious experience. I’ve just found ways to come with it as best I can. What are your tips on travelling with anxiety? I hope you have a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

Pippa