While many people see travel as a way of stress-relief, traveling can be stressful, especially when it’s not organized and planned well. On the other hand, this stress can be avoided by preparing yourself before the trip, so it can be enjoyable, whether you’re traveling for business or leisure.
It’s unfortunate that so many people schedule trips to try and have a break, but end up being even more stressed out. If you’ve ever felt this way, you should continue reading and find out these 6 useful tips on how to make traveling a more positive experience.
Travel Comfortably
You may be thinking, “oh, it’s only a short flight/trip, no need to change clothes before and after”. Well, giving travel clothing more thought may spare you from starting out the trip negatively. Try wearing layered, comfortable clothing, so you’re both comfy and prepared for unexpected low or high temperatures. You shouldn’t think for a moment about your looks, you can always freshen up and change when you arrive at your destination. Also bring a pillow, headphones and maybe a book or magazine, things that will help you relax.
Don’t Have Unrealistic Expectations
With a vacation coming up that you seem to have waited forever for, you’ve already made all the arrangements and are thinking about how amazing everything will be once you’ve reached your holiday destination. The thing is, if you raise your expectations too high, you’ll end up being disappointed because the place didn’t live up to them. So, you should really expect that there will be negative aspects to your trip, it’s never going to be all roses. If you’re flexible about it, you’ll have a better state of mind and not let any flaws bring you down.
Be Open to New Experiences
What’s the point of going to new places if you don’t expand your horizons? Of course, there are different kinds of trips, you might be going for business, leisure, romance… Who knows? Whatever the reason for your trip is, you should try and take advantage of what a destination has to offer. Does it have a great beach for surfing? Or maybe amazing museums with artifacts you can’t find anywhere else in the world. How about visiting that amazing lake nearby and going fishing? You can look at some fishing kayaks and experience a different kind of relaxation, sailing out to the middle of the lake and enjoying absolute relaxation. You won’t need the whole day to prepare, just go for it and improvise, and have a great story for when you come back from the vacation.
Financial Stress
Thinking about the finances when you are preparing for the trip can give you a real headache. There are so many expenses even at the very start, from the booking of accommodation and transport to traveling insurance, traveling snacks, making sure you’ll have enough money for food and drinks until the end of the trip and some additional ‘just in case’ money in case there are unexpected expenses. The first thing you should think about is booking a trip that you can actually afford. Booking everything in advance can make your trip much less expensive, since paying on the spot is usually more expensive. Don’t let others pressure you into racing them with drinks/food if you feel uncomfortable with the pricing. Maybe it’s nothing for them, but it might leave you broke before the trip is over. Of course, sometimes it’s okay to splurge a bit, don’t be too tight about every dollar, just try to control yourself and not overdo it.
Having Safety Concerns?
There’s sometimes a sense of distress when visiting a new country about how safe it is for a common traveler. Especially if you keep hearing on the news about tourist kidnappings, terrorist activity, robberies, and all sorts of criminal activity in popular tourist destinations. What you should do is do a bit of research, comb through the latest news about the place you’re visiting, read experiences from forums, and see if your concerns are valid. If they are, try to be extra careful, see which parts of the place you’re visiting are dangerous and which are not. In the end, if it feels like the place is too hazardous, you can always choose another destination.
Traveling With Companions?
Traveling solo tends to be much easier, you do what you like when you like, and there’s no one there to argue your choices. The problem may arise when you’re traveling with your spouse, friends, or family and everyone has different expectations from the trip. What you should do is talk about this before the trip and try to realize what everyone is in for. Also, be pragmatic and ready to compromise, accept some of their recommendations for activities and the next one can be yours. Just try not to overstress and fight over who has a better plan.
So, whatever the reason for your traveling is, you should try and have a positive attitude, not stress about the little things and use the most you can of the place you’re visiting.
