Traveling can be stressful and in a way intimidating to many of us, for many different reasons. With the traveling / holiday season just around the corner, I wanted to share some tips and ideas of how you can minimize the stress levels before and during your next trip.

• decide what you want – before you do anything else, it is important to decide what is that you want from a vacation – do you want to just relax by the beach for 10 days, do you want to do some sightseeing, do you want an active vacation?! Making that decision before anything else, will help you with the whole planning, hotel selection, etc
• do your homework – I personally don’t like going to the same place every vacation, so we go to a new place every year. Once we have decided where we are headed, I usually do my homework and research the area, check out possible hotels, sightseeing possibilities, restaurants and coffee places, etc……all while of course I keep in mind what can of vacation we want. By doing this, you are not only well prepared, but the excitement level usually increases enormously:)
• plan – I am very active person (as you might have sensed by now;) so I can’t spend the whole vacation just relaxing on the beach. My hubby on the other hand is the complete opposite of me – he has absolutely no problem just relaxing and spending the day on the beach. So usually what we do is, we will plan our vacation, so both of our needs are met – we will decide what sightseeing we want to do, and I will plan it accordingly so there is a good mix of active and relaxing days
• make a “to take” list – once I know where we are headed, and what our plans are, then I will make a “to take” list. I usually will do this about a week before we leave, this way I also know if there is anything that I need to buy, etc
• packing – I personally find it extremely helpful to pack the afternoon before we leave – this way on one hand I don’t pack so much in advance that I forgot what I have packed, and on the other hand I am not stressing out trying to pack everything in the last second
• carry on – I see so many people at airports having so much carry on…..try to minimize this! Try to take only what is absolutely necessary. This way you not only have less to carry, but it is much easier when you go through security, etc
• motion (travel) sickness / anxiety – I am extremely fortunate to not have any of these, but I know people that are really struggling with this type of conditions. I would suggest here, to check for the appropriate pills for motion sickness, or possible techniques to minimize the anxiety levels

The number one aspect that will minimize your stress levels when it comes to traveling, is good planning (just like with everything else)! It will not only reduce your stress levels, but it will also allow you to focus on all the positives, excitement, and all the new things that you are experiencing and seeing.

Stay healthy

Anna

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