Travelling: time to relax, right? Well, not quite. For some of us, getting from A to B can be a source of major stress, especially if it involves international travel, flying, or just the logistics of wrangling children, luggage, passports, visas, complicated onward tickets, etc., etc. If you find travel stress overwhelming (and even if you don’t), it might be time to think about some coping strategies – who wants to start their holiday frazzled? Here are five top tips to help you deal with stress on the road.
Plan, plan, plan
Knowledge is power, and planning your trip out can really help to relieve stress. Read up on other people’s journeys to your destination, find out how much things like a bus or a taxi should cost you, find out the exact bus route you’ll need to take, learn some basic words, and exchange some cash beforehand. Make a plan for if something goes wrong (if you miss the last bus, what’s a taxi app you can use?) and for worst-case scenarios. Having this information in hand can go a long way to reducing stress; most problems are solvable, and if you have the solution already, there’s nothing to worry about. Think about using an app like Trip It to keep all your documents and itinerary away in one easy place.
CBD oil
Stress is your body’s response to external factors, and sometimes these are out of our control. When you’re feeling stressed, it’s your body’s fight-or-flight response kicking in; in the past, this was important for keeping our ancestors safe, but in the present… not so much. Stress can be a response to unfamiliar situations, or to being in a different environment, both of which are pretty much par for the course when travelling. This is where CBD oils come in. This can help to regulate your overactive hormones, including hormones related to stress such as adrenaline and cortisol. By doing this, it can calm an overactive mind, and massively reduce the feeling of stress. It might even be worth you joining a CBD Affiliate Program if there’s a few of you travelling together . One caveat – if your travel involves crossing borders, make sure that CBD oil is legal in all your destinations.
Switch off
If you’re going on holiday, reduce stress by switching off from work completely. An email inbox full of potentially urgent emails is guaranteed to make even the calmest traveller jittery at the thought of delays. Tell colleagues that you’ll be away well in advance of your trip, and set up an out-of-office autoresponder email before you leave. Even if you’re travelling for work, it can be useful to set up a short “I’m travelling – will get back to you as soon as possible” email to manage people’s expectations and reduce your own stress. If you’re really worried about being uncontactable, include your phone number for urgent matters.
Skip the booze
Although the thought of a pre-flight bevvy or two might sound appealing (hello holiday!), it’s not a great idea if you’re trying to manage stress. Alcohol dehydrates you, making for a less pleasant flight generally, and can make you more jittery and anxious. Save it for later and your trip’s likely to be (slightly) smoother.
Exercise beforehand
If your travel plans involve waking up at the crack of dawn, exercise might not be the most appealing thing – but it can really help to manage stress. Exercise does two things – it boosts your overall body function, making it more relaxed, supple, and less prone to aches and pains; and it causes your body to produce mood-boosting chemicals such as endorphins, giving you the double whammy of feeling better physically and mentally. If you don’t already have one in place, it could be wise to start a regular exercise routine. If your trip is coming up soon, you don’t have to be a marathon runner to reap the benefits; even a short walk the day before, or stretches during your journey, can help to manage stress.
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