If I imagine travelling I like to think of colourful city centres, lots of food, beautiful natural sights, new friends and languages and lots of exploring. More often, though, I’ll find myself picturing busy airports, stressful transfers from train stations to hotels with cab drivers who’ll likely turn around and charge you seventy quid for a 5minute journeys, the panic of thinking you’ve forgotten your passport and the dizzying disorientation of severe jet lag. There’s no getting around it: travel is a stressful experience. It may often seem that there are a lot of obstacles in the way of that perfect poolside or inner-city churro stand. Ironically, a trip away from home can be a blessing for your mental health. Read on to discover how you can make sure that it is relaxing experience you hope for…
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Keep in Touch
Pre-arrange contact with family and friends from home. A large source of anxiety when travelling abroad can be not having your usual support network immediately on hand. Do some research into wifi at your expected accommodation to make sure you’re able to stay in touch with family. Schedule some Skype or phone calls that work for both time zones and fit in with both your routine and your family’s routine and get ready to make them jealous with all the fun you’re having!
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Bring Extras of Important Things
The threat of losing luggage or theft whilst you’re travelling always seems to loom. From unreliable (but cheap!) airlines to statistics about pickpockets in your chosen destination, there is a lot that might unsettle you. Try to bring doubles of things that you feel you simply cannot live without. If you are on medication, professionals recommend that you bring in excess of 1-2 weeks’ supply to make sure that you keep up to date if your regular supply is misplaced. If there are other things – like travel documents, specific toiletries, money – that you are concerned about losing, either make copies or just bring more.
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Do Your Homework
Research, research, research. The more you know about where you’ll be spending the weeks or months, the more comfortable you will feel when you touch down. Whether it’s knowing how to access emergency mental health services, knowing the hotel’s menu off by heart or being cool with greeting shopkeepers in their native language, the more you know the less you’ll have to worry about. Make a list of things that are worrying you about your impending trip and hit up Google to find out more about them, so you aren’t thinking about them when you arrive but all the fun you’re going to have instead!
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Take Care of Your Physical Health
When we’re hopping time zones and staying up late to try yummy foods or local cocktails, its easy to lose track of your sleep schedule and find yourself perhaps under-eating or overdoing it on the alcohol. These things of course can have a big impact on your mental health. The most important thing is to be mindful of this and be aware that a low patch in your mental health may be to do with the fact that you haven’t had the full eight-hour night’s sleep in a couple of days. Try to stick to some sort of routine and give your body what it needs: margaritas are fab, but water is too! A routine will also make you feel more at home and make it less likely for unexpected things to cause you problems and disrupt your trip. Always remember that travel is about having fun, taking the odd little risk and introducing yourself to something totally new. It can be unsettling but the benefits are endless!