5 Tips for Traveling Alone with Anxiety
The thought of traveling solo can often feel paralyzing for anyone, but especially so for those of us with anxiety. After all, traveling entirely on your own to new places with new cultures, people, and languages is overwhelming in general.
A question I’m often asked is, “Aren’t you scared to travel alone?”
And the answer is, I’m scared every day of my life. But that doesn’t prevent me from living.
I didn’t experience travel anxiety when I was younger but when I was 18, I started traveling for work each summer which often required me to fly alone. The more I flew, the worse it got. It wasn’t just when I traveled alone but also when I traveled with friends/family/my significant other. I became the laughing stock of the trip. I knew my fear was irrational but I couldn’t help it.
Deep down, I knew that I was never going to let it keep me from traveling. I started getting more into personal development and wellness and tried new methods of coping when I flew. Music helped. Conscious, deep breaths helped too. Refocusing my thoughts and then surrendering is what inevitably gets me through now.
So then once I started traveling solo for fun (and not just for work) I started feeling anxious about different things, not just flying. I still find that I get worked up a few days leading up to my departure. As I’m about to embark on my first multi-country international trip alone tomorrow to Denmark and Sweden, I feel the nervous energy sneaking in. I haven’t been sleeping very well. I feel completely scatterbrained and overwhelmed about, well, everything. Update: I’m back from my Denmark/Sweden now and it was the greatest trip I’ve ever taken. I’m so glad I didn’t let anxiety win.
Whether you’ve struggled with anxiety most of your life or it’s something you’ve been encountering the more you try to step outside of your comfort zone, I’m here to show you that it’s possible to travel solo and have it be one of the greatest experiences of your life. And I’m here to encourage you to not let your anxiety stop you from the life you want to live. People would probably never guess that my anxiety was so bad in the past that there were times when it was hard to imagine leaving my home. And now I’m traveling to other countries entirely on my own, feeling happier and more confident than ever.
I also want to say that I have met so many women (and men) who are also affected by anxiety and it has helped me so much to know that I’m not alone. Which means you’re not alone either. (In fact, give this blog post from Twins that Travel a read. It helped me feel less alone.) I’m also a really big advocate for finding a professional you can connect with. I think that was paramount for me to work with someone. It helped me learn so much about myself, where my anxiety stemmed from, and what to do in order to stop being a prisoner of my anxiety.
It’s a funny feeling, isn’t it? To love something so much that brings you so much anxiety. I know this will be an ongoing journey for me. Some trips are easier than others and some days I just want to cancel the trip and stay on my couch cosied up with my cat Stella.
Related Reading: 11 Life-Changing Reasons to Travel Solo in Your Twenties
But I won’t let it win and I hope you don’t let it keep you from traveling either. So, without further ado, here are five tips for traveling solo with anxiety:
1. Be over-prepared
Now, I should start by saying that travel can always be a bit unpredictable. Delays, weather, lost luggage, etc. Some things are outside of our control no matter how much we prepare. However, I’ve always believed that it’s better to be safe than sorry. Start checking the forecast each day starting a week before you leave. Keep all of your devices as fully-charged as possible. Hydrate before traveling. Double and triple check the luggage policies for your airline. You get the point. You can never be too prepared when it comes to travel.
2. Give yourself more than enough time
Not only does everything generally take longer than we estimate, but I’ve found that my anxiety can slow me down when I’m traveling solo. When I give myself a little buffer, I stay calm and relaxed instead of flustered and stressed. I’ve also learned that I usually need a little extra time in the morning to find that motivation when I’m alone to get out there and start touring the city. Which brings me to #3…
3. Create an itinerary in advance
Winging it has never worked well for me when I’m feeling anxious as a solo traveler. I’ve found that having a planned itinerary and even better, a reservation for a tour or show or something concrete, takes the guess work out, alleviating a lot of the anxiety. If I’m not feeling anxious in the moment then maybe I will decide to change course and try that cool cafe I passed on my morning walk instead of having lunch at the market I had originally planned to try. Either way, set plans provide extra certainty and structure to my day which I find to be very helpful.
4. Nix whatever doesn’t make you feel good, despite the current travel trends
You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Do what works best for you. Maybe shorter ‘long weekend’ trips are more your style than months of backpacking around the world. If you see everyone around you booking trips to Bali but what your heart longs for is exploring Europe by train, do that! Maybe you prefer a hotel over an Airbnb or vice versa. (Get $28 off your first Airbnb stay when you sign up here!)
Take the pressure off. Our anxiety can build from doing what we think we ‘should’ be doing versus what truly feels aligned in the moment. The trips you take are entirely your own to experience, so make them suit you as much as possible.
On the flip side, if it’s just a ‘get out of your comfort zone’ thing that you want to push yourself to do (ex: you’re afraid of heights but really want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower) go for it!
5. Find activities that allow you to be present
When you experience anxiety, you’re often faced with paralyzing feelings and/or fears of the future and what might happen. It’s been so helpful for me to have an activity I can do while I travel that I know will bring me back to the present moment. For me, it’s photography, visiting museums, and going for walks and so I plan my travels accordingly. Usually, the first thing I do after arriving and checking in to my hotel/Airbnb
Related Reading: My Solo Travel Archives
There’s a delicate balance between stepping outside of your comfort zone and finding comfort during anxious times.
The more that I’ve traveled on my own, the more I’ve found it has helped my anxiety, my confidence, and my overall understanding of myself and my place in the world. Solo travel is so healing. It is so empowering to see how capable you truly are. To just go for it, put yourself out there, and accomplish the things that often felt so out of reach.
You are powerful beyond words.
I couldn’t have done what I’ve done if I didn’t believe in myself and find the courage within me to go after it. I know you can do the same.
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