Travel is a great way to rest, recover, and relax now that the world is beginning to open up – particularly after a tough year of lockdowns and restrictions. However, from being uncomfortable in new surroundings to feeling anxious about the trip going smoothly, travel can make anyone feel anxious. In fact, “fear of flying” and “negative thoughts” generated, on average, between 8,500 and 12,000 global monthly online searches. But travel anxiety is now further compounded by the worry around the latest travel regulations and PCR testing, which can hold us back from booking that well-deserved break.
After a period of not travelling, it can be worrying getting back on a plane. Fortunately, we have enlisted the expert help of psychologists, who have shared their top tips for managing stress and anxiety when travelling post-pandemic.
1. Download a meditation app for the flight
Meditation is a great way to combat the anxiety that accompanies flying and travel. Breathing exercises and meditation can help with any stress you may be experiencing, as well as helping to calm and ease the mind.
Lee Chambers MBPsS, Environmental Psychologist and Wellbeing Consultant, comments: “Using mindfulness or meditation to increase your wellbeing is something that should certainly be considered. Its effect on the amygdala has been researched, and by practising, we become more able to disengage from ruminating negative thoughts and connect to the present. It can decrease cortisol levels, and decrease inflammation markers, which leaves us feeling more relaxed and able to deal with the rigours of the current turbulent climate.”
2. Try to get some physical exercise before your flight
When feeling agitated or stressed before travel, any form of physical exercise – such as taking a short walk around the airport – can be a great distraction and help to ease nerves.
Ruth Cooper-Dickson, Positive Psychology Practitioner, advises: “Being active is beneficial for the hippocampus – which is the part of the brain that acts as a brake on the stress response. Exercise is great for activating GABBA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid). This is an amino acid whose purpose is to calm the brain and act as a fire extinguisher to enable brain cells to suppress their activities. GABBA activation provides quick and effective stress relief.”
3. Distract yourself when travelling
If you feel yourself becoming anxious, distract yourself by playing games or watching your favourite film on your devices (or via the plane’s in-flight entertainment system), or playing cards with your friends or family, which are great ways to take your mind off feelings of anxiety or stress. Just make sure you download the films you want to watch ahead of time to avoid any connection issues, which can aggravate your feelings of stress.
Andy Phillips, Head of Training and Content at Escape Fitness, says: “Watching films can act as a supplemental form of therapy to help us feel better. Cinematherapy – the use of films to manage mental health issues – can improve thoughts and feelings.”
4. Ease anxious thoughts with your favourite music
Consider listening to comforting music to fill your head with pleasant emotions. This can also help to act as a circuit breaker for stressful thoughts.
Dr Rachel M. Allan, Chartered Counselling Psychologist, comments: “Music requires following patterns, drawing from memory and engaging with multi-sensory feedback. It draws on many different high-level brain functions at the same time, which strengthens connections between different regions of the brain.”
5. Take Jet Candy before, during and after your flight
An all-natural homeopathic remedy, Jet Candy Plane Remedy works by stimulating the body to make itself better, by accommodating changes to the body clock, to counter ailments associated with air travel and jet lag. One of the key ingredients of Jet Candy Plane Remedy is gelsemium, which eases anticipatory anxiety and fear of flying. Alternatively, Jet Candy Relax + Renew Essential Oil Roller is a bespoke blend of lavender and rose absolute oils designed to relax the mind. Lavender has long been used to help curb anxiety and insomnia, while rose oil is a natural mood enhancer and is reputed to relieve headaches and head stress. Simply apply the essential oil to your pressure points or just warm it up in your hands, and breathe in.
Dr Rachel M Allan, Chartered Counselling Psychologist, says: “Stress and low mood may inhibit the hippocampus, which is an important brain structure associated with memory formation and recall. Effective stress management could therefore be an important consideration for looking after memory function.”
