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How To Conquer Pre-Trip Anxiety

• by Srinivas Rao
• on February 15th, 2011
• 4 Comments

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ryan from RyanGoesAbroad.com

Let’s say you’re going abroad.

You’ve purchased the ticket and you’ve got a freakin’ departure date… all that is left is the passage of time before your adventure begins.

Except… the passage of time does something peculiar.

The Onset of Anxiety

More than just ticks on a clock, the passage of time does something to us psychologically as the moment of action approaches… It works something inside, making us anxious about what we are getting ready to do.

You know what I’m talking about… Preparing for the trip, you become rushed, you become anxious, you become flustered. You have a thousand things on your mind to get read for the trip that you know you have to do, but you have to fight to maintain your sanity.

Occasionally you may feel yourself having second thoughts about your trip… Should you really go? Why are you really leaving? Is now the best time?

All of these are symptoms of pre-trip anxiety. Most of us have to deal with this at some point, especially prior to our first trip, or an extended trip abroad. It is just there, whether we like it or not.

And, unless you already have a bunch of trips under your belt, psychological anxiety will only increase as your departure date gets closer. It will rise especially on your way to the airport, and for some (like me) will reach a screaming intensity as you make your way through the security line.

But can you help it?

And the worse part about it is that it’s not like this anxiety has an off switch. That’s the terrible thing about anxiety in general. You can’t just press a button and do something about it. Often times, it’s just there.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t minimize anxiety where you can. You can choose where you will place your mind and what will be your next action. You can choose what you will attend to in a given moment.

For example, the biggest controllable sources of anxiety involve preparing the important items of the trip:

• the ticket, passport, and visa;
• insurance, medications, and clothes;
• electronics, laptop, and valuables;
• meeting your party on the ground and finding accommodations the first night.

Have you taken care of each of these in succession from most important to least important? (i.e. you can keep traveling even if you lose your luggage, but there’s no way to travel unless you have your passport.) If you make a list and check off the “trip-ready” items, you will be able to relax a bit more.

Also, have you planned out your first couple of days in your destination for rest and recuperation? This might be a good idea because you will have to recover from jet lag and lack of sleep from your trip. If you have your accommodations planned for the first few days, you can allow your body to catch up and remain healthy, which is of paramount importance. This will enable to you to deal with your new environment and the many challenges that will await you on the ground.

After you’ve done all that you can

You can take the steps above to minimize any excess preoccupation, but there is just something about going abroad that will make you anxious anyway. And so when it comes to this last bit of pre-trip anxiety there is really nothing you can do about it… EXCEPT to choose your next action.

You have to make yourself do what you are anxious about. You have to make yourself do something.

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. – John Wayne

This does not require a bunch of thinking or planning, but only a move of confidence… In fact, thinking about it may cause you more trouble.

So, here’s what you do: the last 2 days before your trip and on the day you head to the airport, just shrug your shoulders and accept that you are about to make the leap.

…It’s what you and I have to do. There’s no way around it. I mean, who said all of this was going to be “safe”?

You certainly didn’t sign up for “safe”. That’s why you’re taking the freakin’ trip. That’s why you’re doing something adventurous. It’s why you are doing something your friends aren’t doing. It’s why you are taking life by the horns. It’s why you’re a badass.

So…

So just put one foot in front of the other, and get on the plane… Travel is almost never “safe,” but it is awesome.

The moment when you trade your temporary feelings for decisive action, you move beyond anxiety and into the experience. And the sky is the limit.

Ryan decided to go to Colombia January 5th, 2011. You can holler at him on his blog or on twitter (@ryangoesabroad).

Srinivas Rao

Srinivas is an avid surfer and personal development blogger at The Skool of Life. He's also the host and co-founder of BlogcastFM, a podcast for bloggers.