Flying Tips for Anxious People

In a few days, I'm visiting some of my friends in the UK, and although I am extremely excited for the trip, I'm also terribly anxious. I'm awful at having my routine messed with. It gives me an uneasy feeling in my stomach and makes it difficult for me to eat or drink anything. I kind of just freeze and anticipate the changed routine. Furthermore, when my routine is changed I tend to be extra early (I'm almost always early anyway) to the new place because I am so afraid that I will miss the event/class/whatever it may be otherwise. That being said, flying is hard for me. Not only am I going to a foreign place with little control of how early I can be, but my routine is also thrown all out of wack. And this will be my first time overseas. And I and going alone. Do you see the problem?

Well I'm trying to stay as calm as possible because I have been planning this trip for so long and really cannot wait to see all of my friends, so instead I have been practicing tips and tricks on how to stay calm in the midst of a full-on anxiety battle.

Pack days in advance. A lack of control triggers anxiety (obvious, I know), so the feeling of forgetting something and having no way to go back to it can be minuscule but daunting. Packing a week or so in advance allows you to double, triple, quadruple check to make sure that nothing is left behind. It can also help you to avoid overpacking something I myself am prone to) because if you don't use the object in the week you've been packed, you probably won't need it while you're away. Contrarily, it will also help you to remember that one thing you don't use often, but you use enough to need in a week away.

Make a list. I love my lists. They help lay everything out in front of you so that it doesn't look as unapproachable as intimidating in your head. For travel, I like to write out an all of the mandatory times and then see how much leeway I have. It's also never a bad idea to create a checklist to check your packing one more time.

Have a small carry-on. By this, I more just mean keep a smaller bag close to you with the essentials, or anything that will help calm your nerves. I do this when I fly or drive long distances. In this bag I keep my phone charger, headphones, a book, gum, my ticket, my wallet, whatever I might impulsively need to keep myself from freaking out or feeling like I'm trapped or have forgotten something.

Stay in touch. If you're in communication with someone, be it a parent or a friend, it helps to not feel so alone. I like to plan my trips around days my mom is easily reachable so that if I need to talk my anxiety out for a bit, I'm able to do so.

Remind yourself that everything is fixable. This is by far the most difficult trick to keep from feeling anxious, but it's probably the most important. It's unbelievably easy to overreact to a small roadblock when one struggles with anxiety, but try to remind yourself that if there's a will, there's a way. Plans can go awry, but they only make way for a different route and as my mom always says, everything happens for a reason. Try not to stress too much.

I hope those help if any of you are traveling soon! Or just in general, actually. Let me know some tricks or tips you guys have to keep calm.

xxx