Whenever I set out for a big vacation, I always expect a certain amount of travel related stress. There’s a lot that’s out of my hands. I can’t predict if my flight will be on time or if traffic getting to the airport will be gridlocked. I can’t do anything about the attitudes of my fellow travelers or the airline staff. Whether my checked bag makes it from Point A to Point B is out of my control. But there are some sources of travel related stress a bit closer to home.
I find that when I’m disorganized or rushed my level of travel related stress soars. So, in order to make my adventures as pain-free as possible, there are a few rules I live by to decrease travel related stress. Here are the top contenders.
There’s nothing worse than lying awake the night before a flight making a mental list of everything I forgot to buy or pack. This used to be a common trigger for travel related stress for me until I learned to plan. These days, I make a list of everything I’ll need as soon as I book my ticket. Then I slowly check things off the to-do list at my leisure until the day when it’s time to take off. This ensures that I get everything done without rushing or stressing.
The first few times I traveled, I was determined to bring an outfit not only for every day, but for basically every potential situation that there was a slim chance I might encounter. I way over-packed, which meant I was lugging around a huge checked bag for the duration of my travels. I eventually learned to only pack what I need by, again, making a list and mapping out my daily itinerary. Then, I pack precisely the right number of outfits.
It might seem like a good plan to stay up late the night before a flight — the better the chance of you drifting off on the plane, right? — but that’s only if you forget everything that it takes to actually get to the flying part of traveling. It’s important that I’m alert while I pack, grab an Uber, check in at the airport and find my gate. Then I’m ready to snooze. So, I try to go to bed early the night before a flight and get a solid eight hours in order to be ready for my travel.
The airport concourse may be a runway for celebs flying into LAX, but as I eventually learned, no paparazzi were waiting to snap my photo just beyond security. So, I try to wear a comfortable and practical ensemble when I travel, like yoga pants and a loose-fitting t-shirt with a few layers on top. You can never really predict what the temperature will be like in the airport or the plane’s cabin, so it’s nice to have options. And when I wear comfy clothing, I’m always ready to nap.
I feel better when I eat better, plain and simple. So, I try not to use travel as an excuse to totally abandon my normal pattern of eating healthy and drinking lots of water. I usually bring my empty water bottle to the airport and fill it up past security (most airports have filtered-water stations incorporated into their drinking fountains). I also try to bring some healthy snacks along and fill up with a salad or something else nourishing before my flight.
One of the most anxiety-inducing things about traveling is running late for my next mode of transportation. That’s why I always err on the side of caution and leave 30 minutes earlier than necessary to give myself a big buffer. If I’m traveling internationally, sometimes I give myself an extra hour. Then, I’m still not left running through the airport Home Alone-style.
Even when I plan my travel down to the tiniest detail, there’s always at least one thing that goes awry (if not more). As I mentioned before, I only have so much control over how my globetrotting goes down. But when I follow these rules, nothing can totally derail my vacation.
If you have a big trip coming up, consider enacting some of these tips right now. You might be surprised by how effective the simple act of making a packing list is at keeping you zen about your upcoming travels. Perhaps planning will totally transform your vacation experience — I know it did for me!
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Nice post Kacey! I always thinking of tomorrow’s action hence I would lose a good sleep. Especially during the day before my travel, it goes at peak. My brain will ask how to manage, how to seek for a help, etc., This is similar to the point you discussed in “Plan Ahead”, It is the great (exactly worst) stress for everyone during their journey.
Great article, simple and to the point. Traveling to 43 countries now, I should know all these things but I don’t always do them and I pay for it. Even though they may seem like common sense, you need to remind yourself to do them. I will bookmark this blog post to remind me to read before my next adventure. Well done!
Hi Toby!
I am so glad you enjoyed reading the article and that you plan on saving it!
Happy travels!
Kacey