10 Tips To Live A Trip Without Stress, Should We Try It?

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

We all know the usual stress that any trip produces. Even more so as Christmas approaches, and many people return home among suitcases laden with gifts, weather problems, delayed flights and pending matters.

In an interview with the Washington Post, the author of The Anxiety Toolkit, psychologist Alice Boyes, comments that “there is a lot to remember when we travel. The days before you leave, you have everything you need so you don't forget anything, but also mountains of work that you have to finish before leaving.” But if you plan your trip well in advance, you will have more control of the situation. These are her tips to find peace in those moments of tension.

Think about your schedule. Do not take into account only the price of airline tickets, for example, when buying your means of transport. Do you really want to get up at two in the morning to save yourself an amount that is not really worth the physical wear and tear? First think about what is best for your schedule, both the day of departure and the day of return, and make a decision from that.

Write lists. Boyes even has preconceived lists that save you time by constantly traveling. The summer one reminds you, for example, turning off the air conditioning and pouring chlorine out of the pool.

Prepare trip details that will save you time later. Visualize where you are going, what you are going to do and what you can prepare from now on. Boyes makes sure to carry cash by hand, dollar bills, to have money ready for hotel tips, etc. without having to run at the last minute for change.

Leave a suitcase ready. Boyes travels constantly and, just in case, he always has a half-packed suitcase, with basic clothing or hygiene items, such as a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Study what your credit cards cover. Many of them include travel insurance, lost luggage, cancellation return … It can give you peace of mind and save you time and money in the long run.

Get your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. If you travel a lot, they can save you a lot of time and lower your stress. In exchange for filling out some documents and a small payment, you can pass immigration without having to take your computer out of the suitcase and without taking off your shoes at the airports.

Enjoy the waiting times. Instead of looking anxiously at the screen to see if your flight or train is late or how far you are from leaving, take time to relax and read a book or listen to a podcast. If the anxiety continues, take a deep breath and live the moment without thinking about what you left undone or what you need to do tomorrow.

Go plenty of time before your means of transportation leaves. Airlines recommend that you arrive two hours early at the airport for a domestic flight and three if it is an international flight. Make sure you get out on time so you can be relaxed for a bit before traveling and without the stress of late check-out.

Do not think that everything will go wrong. Traveling with stress is only up to you. There are not always very long lines or the planes are late. Boyes recommends that you ask yourself three questions: “What is the worst thing that could happen? And the best? What is most realistic?” Studying all the possible scenarios gives peace.

Leave something prepared that will give you joy on your return. Returning from a trip often affects our emotions and it can be difficult to get back to routine. Boyes recommends that you already have the next trip prepared, even if it is a small one. This way you will have something to think about that will bring you joy in what you resume your day to day.