How long have you wanted to take that backpacking trip to Asia but been too anxious to actually book the flight?

 

Raise your virtual hand if you’ve ever gone on a spur of the moment trip but hated most of it because your anxiety was way out of control.

 

I get it because I’ve had anxiety for as long as I can remember.

 

I know that all the IG posts of your friends standing on glaciers and stuffing their faces with pasta and wine in Italy might be giving you major FOMO.

 

Because while they’re out there living their best lives, you’re stuck at home feeling anxious about your anxiety getting the better of you if you were to book a trip like that.

 

Even though I’ve experienced anxiety for what feels like forever, I’m now able to completely manage it without medication and I’ve gotten to travel a lot.

 

I LOVE traveling. I'm currently on a 3 week trip in Romania and Germany visiting in-laws and adventuring. 

 

Travel is one of those things that always leaves me feeling grounded and inspired. I come back with a new sense of perspective on the world and my place in it.

 

But as an anxiety-prone introvert, the lack of routine, major changes in diet, lack of sleep, and constant exposure to new people and languages can also be super triggering.

 

The good news is I’ve gotten pretty damn good at managing my anxiety while traveling and today I’m going to share my approach so that you can book the ticket, get all the IG travel pics, AND still feel calm, confident, and in control.

 

First and foremost for any of this to make sense, you should understand how I view anxiety (and depression for that matter).

 

I don’t believe that anxiety means that I’m broken or that there is something wrong with me.

 

I believe that anxiety is a perfectly normal human experience that you are allowed to feel just like any other emotion.

 

It does not mean that you are weak, broken or needing to be fixed.

 

Anxiety and depression are real, they’re uncomfortable, and they’re also hugely powerful healing tools.

 

Yes, what you are experiencing is a REAL physiological process that’s happening in your body.

 

But I believe that it’s happening as sign and reaction to something in your environment, habits, or thoughts not working for you.

 

It’s a symptom of something your lifestyle being off - something is going on that isn’t serving you, that isn't allowing your perfectly healthy and whole self to show up.

 

Anxiety isn’t a message that you’re broken. It’s your body’s way of telling you EXACTLY what you need to really thrive.

 

Shifting the way that I viewed depression and anxiety from something that was wrong with me to my greatest superpowers, has actually allowed me to use them as tools for more self-growth and expansion than I have ever thought was possible.

 

It’s allowed me to fully step into my most authentic self and design my life accordingly.  

 

Which is how over the years I’ve learned exactly what habits and lifestyle shifts I needed to make to manage my depression and anxiety.

 

When it comes to travel - anxiety that you’re experiencing can be from traveling experiences themselves (it’s not all laying on the beach with a marg in hand).

 

And/or it can also be your daily and regular anxiety flaring up because of new triggers, lack of routine etc.

 

The thought of experiencing anxiety while traveling stops a lot of people from getting out there and missing out on an entirely new way of processing and thinking.

 

Travel can be on of the best ways to conquer anxiety - with repeated exposure and small wins that build on each other as you do something that scares you each day instead of avoiding it.

 

So today I’m going to walk you through how my travel non-negotiables so that I get to travel all over the world AND keep my anxiety managed

1. Get clear on your vision for your trip!

 

Take the time beforehand to get crystal clear on why exactly you want to travel and what you want to get out of your trip. Identify 1-3 measurable outcomes for your trip.

 

This might sound a little silly or even too Type A but trust me here.

 

This is the first step that squashes FOMO trip planning where you’re trying to cram in every activity under the sun.

 

If the purpose of your trip is to relax, recharge and do a little sight seeing, your daily itinerary is going to look vastly different from someone whose goal is to see every attraction, sample all the local dishes, and check out at least 3 night clubs.

 

Either vision is amazing! But get clear on what YOU really want, on what’s going to make you feel the way that you want to feel and honor it.

 

This allows you to stop comparing your trip to other people’s and doing things that don’t really light you up.

 

It also allows you to plan in advance.

 

For those of us with anxiety having a plan is a definite MUST.

 

Plan out the things that you know you want to do or see and build in 2-3 days of wiggle room that you can use for downtime or if you’re feeling up to it an extra spontaneous adventure.

 

Trust me, not having an itinerary that requires you to be going from place to place 24/7 will allow you to stay in control and actually enjoy yourself.

 

On a very practical note, I also recommend padding your budget with 2-3 days of extra spending money for spontaneous adventures, deep recovery in a luxury hotel or any emergencies that might pop up.

 

2. Identify your physical triggers and PLAN for them!

 

So much of how I manage my own anxiety and depression and what I teach my clients is around lifestyle habits - food, sleep, exercise.

 

If you throw all that out the second you step on the plane, of course you’re going to feel anxious.

 

Identify what your non-negotiables are - the things that you know you need to feel good and plan accordingly.

 

For me personally, this looks like:

• Lugging my giant water bottle around with me so that I can stay hydrated
• Not cramming so much into my day that I can’t get 7-8 hours of sleep/night
• Packing plenty of protein bars and shakes that I can default to when the food available to me will mess me up digestively or mood wise
• Getting in some kind of movement daily, even if it’s just walking everywhere!
• Being really mindful of alcohol and caffeine consumption.
  • Alcohol significantly impacts my anxiety so I don’t really drink while I’m traveling. While that may seem odd for some people it allows me to wake up every morning feeling energized, calm, and excited for everything I’m going to do that day so it’s totally worth it!

3. Make your environment work for you

 

Travel gets stressful when you don’t know where your passport is, your GPS craps out, you’re rushing to catch a flight or you’re just overwhelmed from all the new experiences, people, and languages.

 

Instead of just hoping I’ll be OK in all those scenarios I set my luggage and personal belongings up for success.

 

This looks like:

• Creating a packing list ahead of time and saving it to Gmail or Evernote so I can access it anywhere. I like to check off my packing list when leaving for a new place so I don't worry about forgetting anything. I also get hyper-organized here and like to have a general packing list and a ‘morning of’ packing list for things like my phone charger and water bottle.
• Keeping my passport, credit cards, and important papers in the same place all the time, no exceptions. This way I always know where they are and can access them quickly.
• Arriving early. If rushing through security and running to your gate at the last minute stresses you out, plan ahead! Give yourself the 2 or 3 hours that you need to get to your transportation without stressing.
• Have a paper dictionary and paper directions printed if you’re heading somewhere that you don’t speak the language and there’s a chance technology can fail. This will allow you to get to your home base and regroup without added stress.

4. Have SOME sort of routine

 

Having a daily routine is an opportunity to ground yourself as well as to reconnect with your vision of the trip.

 

For me this looks like prioritizing journaling and meditation (even if it’s just for 10 minutes!) every morning.

 

Having this alone time gives me space to re-center, tune into how I’m feeling and explore if there is anything that I need to change about how I’m spending my time to feel the way that I want to feel.

 

This time will also allow you to assess your vision for the trip and if you’ve been making choices in alignment with that. If you have, amazing! You’re likely having an incredible time adn feeling good.

 

If not, this is your chance to identify what isn’t working - too much eating out? Too little sleep or alone time?

 

Once you’ve identified what needs to shift you can plan accordingly and communicate your needs to your travel partners.

 

This entire plan ONLY works if you have space and time each day to check in with how you’re actually feeling and course correct.

 

Finally, make sure that no matter where you’re traveling you have a support network for when you need to vent, process through your feelings, or just be validated. 

 

This could be someone who’s traveling with you that feel safe sharing with or it could be a friend or family member at home that you’ve let know you might want to call and get some support.

 

It can also be an online community. If you’re looking for a group of women who get it and want to support you in all your life goals as you work to conquer your depression and anxiety, make sure that you check out our free Manage Your Mood Facebook group.

Happy travels!

Xo,

Julia