How to calm travel anxiety and physical symptoms

[puddingduck]

Hi guys,

At the end of the month I am going on a month long trip to the US to visit my family and it's going to be the first time I've flown by myself. I'm really excited and looking forward to the trip, but I'm also very concerned about my travel anxiety. For one, I get really anxious about security checks and airports because I'm so worried about making a mistake. But also the last time I flew on a plane (4 years ago) I got struck with horrible motion sickness and felt awful for the whole flight. My worry is that my anxiety over the flight going well might make me make myself sick.

I have a record of causing physics symptoms of my anxiety like stomach aches. I got so upset about getting a flu shot last year that I had an anxiety attack and almost passed out. Does anyone have advice on how to calm anxiety and prevent it from manifesting physically?

So far I've made lists of things to pack that will keep me really comfortable on the plane and putting audio books and soothing music on my MP3 player. I'm open to any ideas at all for how to stay calm and make the travel go smoothly.

PS: Sorry about any personal messages that I haven't answered. I've been working through a lot of stuff.

[Carnation]

I have the same problem, but music does help, chatting to people, puzzles; (not the boxed kind), maybe crosswords or cryptic stuff. You want to keep your mind and your hands busy doing something. So, maybe you take a puzzle book and listen to your music at the same time. Or have you got some writing to do? Letters, form filling, stories, poems etc. :)

[.Poppy.]

I can get bad travel anxiety as well, and I imagine traveling alone would make it worse for myself.

I think the best advice for you is what I do myself: take everything one step at a time. I know, it's much easier said than done, but do try your best. Don't worry about the next thing you have to "tackle", whether it's going through security, boarding the place, or the chance you may be motion sick. Instead, think of the next immediate task, take a deep breath, and approach it.

As for motion sickness - I get that as well. In fact, I actually have a pretty sensitive stomach (and anxiety makes everything 10x worse) so I have to cope with feeling nauseous quite a bit. See if you can bring an iPod or a portable DVD player that will allow you to watch your favorite shows. Soothing music is also a good idea. For me it helps as well to have an "escape route" to a bathroom...just in case...so even if it doesn't come to that, you may feel relieved to know it's an option.

Once you're at your destination, try to set up times where you can be off on your own and relax. Again, having somewhere to escape to and wind down can be fantastic if you need it.

I'm sure you'll be fine, and I hope you enjoy your trip! Safe travels!

[puddingduck]

Thanks for the tips. :)

The puzzle idea is really good. Also, having an 'escape route' planned for reassurance. I'm going to bring some of my comfort movies on my tablet, too, so I can just cozy up without adding more unfamiliar stimuli to the situation.

I also made an appointment with a uni counsellor next week so I can talk through it before I go and get more advice on staying calm.