5 Travel Bloggers Explain How to Manage Travel Anxiety

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Learning how to manage travel anxiety sucks. 

There’s no too way’s about it. The first time I had a panic attack when I was abroad completely ruined my trip and it totally dislodged me as a person. 

I stayed inside. I acted strange around my friends. I skipped out on activities I would normally have been game for. It ruined everything for me. 

Almost six years on though, things have changed. I no longer get anxiety when I travel and I can finally enjoy when I love doing most – going out on adventures and taking photographs. 

Something which really helped me was listening to the experiences of others. I read so many blog posts on ‘how to manage your travel anxiety’  from the bloggers I cared for and trusted the most. And, do you know what? It helped.

I won’t lie. It was tough going for a while. But with patience, confidence and perseverance – and a positive attitude – you can change how you feel and conquer your biggest challenges. 

Why am I writing about how to
manage travel anxiety?

Simply because I want to help those who may be going through a similar experience to what I did (and what millions of people experience every day). 

One of the best things I did was speak to people. Once I read that other people were going through the same thing I was and having the same feelings it made it seem just that little bit less frightening. 

I thought I’d share the experiences of how other bloggers manage travel anxiety. Fellow travel bloggers, explorers and photographers who’ve all had their own personal experiences with managing travel anxiety. 

Man holding suitcase walking off into the sunset
Sometimes, just setting off can seem like the most daunting thing

Below, you’ll be able to read briefly about their experiences and – more importantly – how they manage travel anxiety. 

They’ve all kindly offered to share their feelings, thoughts and techniques in the hopes that anyone reading this can take some comfort knowing they aren’t the only one and that this isn’t the end of their travelling days. 

So, without further ado, let me introduce out travel bloggers. You can check out their websites and social media through the links under each bio. 

Five bloggers share their experiences on how to manage travel anxiety

Jill Olson is the creator behind FindingJillian.com, a cruise and beach travel blog with an emphasis on helping those who worry to travel well. Many of her posts also have a section called “Worrier’s Guide”. This is a quick reference area that answers all of the questions that “worrier’s” want to know.

Anxiety has always been a part of my story.  

While I was presented with opportunities to travel in college (study abroad, spring break, etc.), I always found a reason why I “couldn’t” go.  I blamed money, other obligations…even boyfriends.

But, the fact was, I was too anxious. I was anxious that I wouldn’t find my way, that the food would make me sick or that I wouldn’t find a clean restroom.  It all worried me!  

Later in life, I started literally forcing myself to say “YES!” to opportunities and I discovered cruising. I found that it really helped with my anxiety.  I could go and explore new places but have the security of a home base. 

If I was worried about the food, I could wait and eat back on the ship. I didn’t need to worry about which hotel was going to be best, or would I find my way.  

I have been on over 15 cruises and have seen so many beautiful places that I never would have seen if I hadn’t said yes to starting the adventure.  

In 2020, I will be taking my first transatlantic flight and exploring the Greek isles. I am as anxious as can be about the flight and the planning involved but because I learned to say YES and then worry later. I have begun to have such an amazing travel life. 

I started my travel blog because I love seeing the world and I love sharing it with others – especially those who worry like I do.  

What I recommend to others is to say YES and then let your planning ease your worry. Follow blogs like mine, watch YouTube videos and research on Pinterest.  

Becoming familiar with a place, even online, can help manage the travel anxiety we all feel. I am comforted knowing that when I arrive in a new place, there is a part of it that feels familiar, expected and comfortable. 

I hope I can help others feel that, too.

You can find Jillian yourself on Instagram.

Bradley Laubscher is a Free-Lance Writer living in Cape Town, South Africa. He's an Ex-Flight Attendant and current adventurer behind the travel blog 'The Winged Writer'. Bradley also works for a number of local and international travel publications.

Often when I’m in a new country – especially one that doesn’t have English as a first language – I will find myself caught in a situation that requires I stop and ask a stranger for help or information. 

It should take me less than five minutes and will cost me zero amount of whatever the local currency is at the time. 

But I freeze up like I’m expected to perform on The Voice. So instead I wander around and talk myself into a spiral until often I give up and miss my train, or never find the beautiful temple that was just around the corner or settle for a less than amazing dish in this city I had specifically visited for this very reason.

My trick to get over this ridiculous quagmire is to actually picture the worst possible thing that could happen to me; they would laugh at me, they would point their fingers at me, I would be publicly mocked, I would become a meme, my shame eternally immortalized. 

And then I realise how absolutely ridiculous this scenario is and that the worst, the absolute worst thing that could happen would be that they don’t understand me or don’t have the answer, whereupon we both go our own ways and have a merry time doing it. 

Confront your worst fears, follow them all the way to the end of your brain path and you will see for yourself the amount of smoke and mirrors you are putting yourself through.

You can follow Bradley on his Facebook page to make sure you never miss a post. 

Jessica Pedraza is a lawyer, freelance writer, and creator of the blog Seeking Gurus. She writes about her experience, offering readers unique travel tips and lessons learned from the road.

I have been traveling with anxiety now for 15 years and I am currently traveling full-time with my family. Anxiety can creep in before you book a flight. 

Is it safe? What if something happens? What if the plane crashes or it has a lot of turbulence? 

It can also creep in as you travel. But more often than not, once you arrive at a destination the anxiety dissipates and the excitement takes over. 

Overcoming anxiety while traveling is a matter of practice. The more you challenge anxiety and do what you fear, the less power it has over you. I overcame a lot of my anxiety by facing them head-on in my early 20s. 

I decided to go to China and live there on my own for 6 months. 

My passion for adventure was calling and even though I was very anxious, I knew I didn’t want my fears to win. After living on my own in a foreign country, it became a lot easier to book new adventures and travel solo. 

You build your confidence. I would often tell myself that if I lived in China for 6 months alone, I could do anything. My biggest tip for anxious travelers is to book the trip. 

Find a destination that excites you so much it will take over any anxiety, then book it. Smaller tips include meditating (I’ve meditated on planes many times) and taking lavender oil on your flight and put some on your pillows while traveling.

I also recommend to exercise as much as possible or keep active. 

All these things have helped me to manage travel anxiety throughout my many years of travel. Most of all…have fun!

You can follow Jessica on Instagram.

Kim writes inspiration and travel tips for family budget travel on her website, Trip Reporter. She is a wife and a mother and shares insights into travelling, mental health and family.

My husband and I decided early in our marriage that we wanted to make traveling part of our lifestyle. But as our family grew, anxiety and panic attacks made travel stressful and scary for me. 

I was torn.

The two options I saw were these: I could let my fears hold me back, or I could step out into the world despite the anxiety that was my near-constant companion.

I chose courage.

I learned that I can take my anxiety with me, but I don’t have to let it stop me. In Poland I realised that despite my anxiety I could cherish the good times and let them be enough.

Recently, after experiencing a major panic attack before a solo flight, I debated whether to cancel my trip. But I did not want to let my anxiety control me, so I went. And I had wonderful experiences that I will always remember.

I wish I could say that all of my struggles with anxiety are behind me, but that’s not my reality. It still flares up when we are planning a trip to a new destination. It surfaces when things go wrong on a trip, or when everything is great. It is never rational. It tells me to hold back, stay home, be afraid.

But I know that I don’t have to listen.

My recommendation for anyone wanting to travel but struggling to manage travel anxiety is this: take your anxiety with you if you must, but don’t let it stop you. As you choose courage, you will realise how strong you really are. 

You can follow Kim on her Facebook page to make sure you never miss a post. 

In 2016, Roberta left her corporate job in New York City to travel the world. Her blog Open Ticket to Life discusses how to travel more and provides inspiration for her readers to help them follow their dreams.

I recently attended a health retreat in California.

Before heading to the airport, I went for a long walk surrounded by Redwood trees and felt incredibly grounded and at peace. The shuttle I hired turned out to be a Tesla.  

At first this seemed like an awesome way to get to the airport.  As we drove along, the driver told us how great the car runs.  

Not two minutes later, we were stranded on the side of the freeway next to the now broken-down Tesla. Panic ensued amongst everyone in the car… including the driver.  

We finally got an Uber and made it in time, but my Zen-like state following a few days of relaxing was completely gone.  

I use a technique called EFT or Tapping to diminish anxiety.  

Tapping involves using your finger tips to lightly tap on various acupressure points while venting (out loud or silently) to relieve stress. 

Fortunately, I had just enough time to pop into the restroom before my flight so I could spend a few minutes tapping to calm down and feel good again.

After going through security, I filled up my water-bottle and added some liquid minerals.   Flying puts stress on our bodies and we tend to dump minerals when stressed. 

Supplementing with minerals when traveling not only replenishes my body, it also relaxes me and allows me to more easily stave off anxiety.

With the combination of tapping and minerals I was able to return to my Zen-like state and was not fazed by the turbulence on the very rocky flight home. 

You can follow Roberta on her Facebook page to make sure you never miss a post. 

Where can I go to help me manage travel anxiety?

Fortunately, there are lots of helpful resources out there which you can turn to for guidance and support. I’ve listed some of the best below: 

  1. Get Help – Anxiety UK has some great general guidance around anxiety and depression.
  2.  This post from Healthline – a great resource for anxious travellers. 
  3.  Very Well Minded has some good advice for travelling with panic disorders 
  4. Fellow travel blogger Nomadic Matt also posts regularly about travelling with anxiety. 

3 Responses

  1. Excellent! Thanks for the feature. I enjoyed reading what others have to say about traveling with anxiety! Such a great post that will help others. Thank you!

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Hi, I’m Hamish, British born adventurer, photographer, writer and self-confessed travel addict. Welcome to by blog, My Travel Fix; a jumble of stories and mis-adventures from my travels around the world.

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