tips on how to travel calmer

6th June 2016

Sometimes, You have to stop and take a stroll back in time to really see how far you have truly come. I remember thinking of all of the excuses as to why I shouldn’t go on a trip when it presented it’s self, “I can’t leave my cat”, “I’ve got too much work to do” and my personal favourite “I get home sick”. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go, but I feared the getting there. So much has happened in the news over the years when it comes to travel which had infiltrated my subconscious and resonated it’s self as fear. I’m not sure how, or  when or why but it was a constant battle. I wanted to see the world but it felt like a mountain stood in my path, the truth was, only I stood in the way of my next adventure. And as we prepare our selves of our next adventure it suddenly dawned on me that butterflies had replaced anxiety and excitement replaced fear. I still have niggles and worries but I’ve taken myself out of my comfort zone and subsequently the Country so many times now, I have perfected a number of steps to ensure I travel as calm as a cucumber. [lem_title]PREPARE[/lem_title] The biggest favour you can do yourself for travelling calmer, is to prepare. Don’t leave things to the last minute, I know it’s so generic right? But how many of us still do it time and time again. I’ve put my last-minute-packing days behind me and actually begin planning all that I need well in advance. Not because I hope things will run smoothly, in fact quite the contrary, I know there will be a curve ball in there waiting to trip me up. Like yesterday when I realised I’d […]

Sometimes, You have to stop and take a stroll back in time to really see how far you have truly come. I remember thinking of all of the excuses as to why I shouldn’t go on a trip when it presented it’s self, “I can’t leave my cat”, “I’ve got too much work to do” and my personal favourite “I get home sick”. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go, but I feared the getting there.

So much has happened in the news over the years when it comes to travel which had infiltrated my subconscious and resonated it’s self as fear. I’m not sure how, or  when or why but it was a constant battle. I wanted to see the world but it felt like a mountain stood in my path, the truth was, only I stood in the way of my next adventure.

And as we prepare our selves of our next adventure it suddenly dawned on me that butterflies had replaced anxiety and excitement replaced fear. I still have niggles and worries but I’ve taken myself out of my comfort zone and subsequently the Country so many times now, I have perfected a number of steps to ensure I travel as calm as a cucumber.

[lem_title]PREPARE[/lem_title]

The biggest favour you can do yourself for travelling calmer, is to prepare. Don’t leave things to the last minute, I know it’s so generic right? But how many of us still do it time and time again. I’ve put my last-minute-packing days behind me and actually begin planning all that I need well in advance. Not because I hope things will run smoothly, in fact quite the contrary, I know there will be a curve ball in there waiting to trip me up. Like yesterday when I realised I’d just sprayed my last pump of Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Tanning oil. This caused panic to ensue until I had located at least three bottles, and ordered a further 4 for good measure. Had I left everything to the last minute, I would not have been able to devote the best part of  my sunny Sunday afternoon to locating some.

These things always seem to happen, perhaps its just me they happen to or perhaps we are all guilty but by planning a head you can eliminate the stress unexpected curveballs can cause

[lem_title]ORGANISE[/lem_title]

Around two days before I’m due to travel I generally start packing, it seems early but I’m not talking suitcases just yet. I get out my endless amounts of clear plastic travel pouches and begin delegating my products and essentials into their correct pouch. The easiest way to ensure you don’t constantly worry about forgetting something is to go through your day, using those products that you cant live/travel without and once you’ve finished with them, packing them into their allocated pouch ready to pack away in the suitcase the night before you depart.

I find this to be my most useful tool when packing and ensuring nothing important is forgotten and let’s just say that when I miss this step out, something is always left behind.

[lem_title]EQUIP[/lem_title]

When travelling, you never know where you might end up. A helicopter over Lisbon? A boat sat just off the coast of Monaco? One things for sure, it’s a great idea to equip yourself for anything unlike I did on our last escapade to Monaco where I found myself about to board a boat without travel pills. Such a school boy error on my part and a hard lesson learned as the fear and anxiety began to set in. I won’t be letting that happen again that is for sure so I’ve made myself a list of travel essentials that I check and pop in those clear plastic pouches first, if they aren’t on the list its a swift trip to boots as soon as possible.

[lem_title]RATIONALISE[/lem_title]

Sometimes, just sometimes the fear and anxiety can be completely nonsensical and that is absolutely fine and absolutely normal. It can creep up on anyone at any time and can be extremely difficult to push to one side. When this happens I like to have a word with myself, no really! I take myself to one side, be it in my office or the kitchen and I have a little chat through what I’m feeling, why I’m feeling it and what the reality is. It might sound totally daft but it works. I also find looking at all the lovely destinations my peers travel to helps as well, like “look Lydia you big wuss, people do this wonderful thing called travelling all the time and don’t lose their marbles over it, you got this!”

This is, as always a work in progress and I’d love to you know tips and tricks for keeping calm when you are a nervous traveller. Please do let me know in the comments below.

Photography by Ali Gordon with the Olympus Pen E-PL7 & 75mm Lens.