Travel? Me? I couldn’t possibly! Well….if you insist….
I absolutely love travelling. If I could, I would probably quit my job and go everywhere on my wish list…..which is pretty much everywhere. My goal in life is to hit all seven continents, although the seventh may be a bit of a stretch! I have managed to get to three so that’s not a bad start, but only time will tell if that dream becomes a reality or if it shall remain a mere aspiration.
The only problem I have with travelling (apart from the cost, but there’s not much I can do about that), is that it can be so very, very stressful and if you’re already trying to manage your mental health, it can take some of the magic out of it all. We always say we need a holiday to recover from the first holiday and honestly, it’s true. I’ve learned that if I take time off work to go away, I also need to take the week after off as well and that has reduced some of my stress but it never goes away completely.
However, I have learned a few tricks on the way to manage that, so here are my top tips for managing your mental (or physical) health when you’re travelling! I’ve also thrown in a few gratuitous travel shots to sate my wanderlust for a while…..
Plan, plan and plan some more!
I cannot stress this one enough. Plan, plan and plan some more! My anxiety simply will not allow me to leave for a holiday without having plans and backup plans in place. I need to know how I’m getting to the airport or train station, how I’m getting to where I’m going on the other end, how much it’s going to cost, where to buy a ticket etc. The invention of Google Maps has quite honestly been a lifesaver. Having that visual of my destination and all the twists and turns to get there takes so much pressure off and just allows me to breathe.
I also like to have an idea of what I’m going to do when I get there. Aimless wandering has its time and place, but there are some destinations where you have to pre-book a lot of things. Having that knowledge in advance can save you some disappointment!
Be kind to yourself
It’s ok to be overwhelmed. Holidays have an expectation of being happy and relaxing, and if we’re not enjoying ourselves we can feel like we have to pretend. But why? Nothing’s perfect all the time and pretending that it is, can be detrimental. This is especially true if you have children. I’ve heard parents say that for them, a holiday is just looking after the kids in a different location. The kids might be having a whale of a time but for the adults, the stresses and worries are just the same.
If you’re able to, go off for a wander by yourself, sit by the pool with a book or just have a rest in the hotel. Just because you’re on holiday with someone doesn’t mean you have to spend every waking minute together. If that’s what you need to recharge then the people you’re with should be able to respect that. Which leads me on to the next tip…..
Choose your companions wisely
Travelling with the right people can make a massive difference. If you know that the people you’re with will be supportive of your mental health, it can take some of the worries and stresses away.
I will always remember in 2019 when I went to Barcelona with some friends. I was going through a bit of a breakdown at the time and was struggling heavily with anxiety and panic attacks and was on some pretty serious medication. I was worried about telling my friends because I felt like I might ruin the holiday but there was really no need. They were (and are) amazing and when we had to leave a couple of places because it was too crowded and I was starting to panic, they didn’t complain, just got me out to a place where I felt safe, talked me down from the impending panic attack and we moved on to somewhere else.
They have never been anything but supportive and as time goes on and my physical health has started to decline (which in turn affects my mental health), I’ve never had to worry that they will judge me, complain or be anything but my fabulous friends. When I had to cancel on a trip last year, it made me pretty depressed and angry with myself and my perceived failings, but they were as amazing as ever and let me know that I wasn’t forgotten.
Go at your own pace
Sounds obvious but isn’t always so. Holidays are exciting and fun and we can get swept up in the madness before we realise that our feet hurt, our brains hurt, there’s suncream everywhere and we haven’t really taken any time to properly switch off. If you’re with the right people (see the aforementioned tip), then they should understand that you all may need to go at a different speed every now and then. Don’t force yourself to follow someone else’s idea of what you should do if it’s going to have a negative effect on your mental health. It’s not worth it.
Take any medications you might need with you.
It should go without saying, but I have been caught out before and it ruined what could have been a great night. When I was living in China we had gone to Shanghai for the day but managed to miss all the trains back to our city. Instead of just getting a hostel somewhere for the night and catching a train the next day, we ended up having to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a taxi, all because I didn’t double check that I had what I needed. I now make sure I always have medication in my bag and backups in my suitcase, which may be overkill but I’d rather be over-prepared than caught short.
I was relatively lucky in that we were only a taxi ride (albeit an expensive one) away from home, but if you’re in another country you might not be. Trying to get what you need when you don’t speak the language can become complicated and potentially expensive. As a side note, it’s also worth checking that any medications you take are legal in the country you’re going to. You don’t want to end up in a sticky situation when it can potentially be avoided.
Know your limits
Being in a different environment doesn’t mean that your usual triggers will magically disappear. They’re likely to be even more prominent because your routine has changed and potentially don’t have the same support systems readily available. Increased stress, different time zones, change in sleeping patterns and weather can all influence and destabilise your mental health. Doing research ahead of time can help minimise problems, but having more awareness of the potential risks can be a game-changer. Let the people you’re with know what these triggers are as well, as they could help you monitor them.
Being able to travel has given me some of the best experiences of my life and created some life-long friendships. While the potential stresses are there and have always been, my desire to discover the world (along with some incredibly supportive people) has overridden most of my fears and allowed me to step into the unknown.
I saw a fantastic quote the other day (author unknown unfortunately as I’d love to give them credit for it) – ‘Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you’, – and it’s absolutely true. There are dangers with any kind of travel, but getting stuck in the mundane and the everyday, for me, is a bigger danger. So I shall continue to explore, whenever and wherever I can.
Safe travels!
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