Traveling by air has the potential to be a stressful experience for anyone, but there are plenty of people who find the prospect so hard that they avoid airports altogether. Travel should be a source of adventure, excitement, and fulfillment, not a source of anxiety and stress.
Often the stress of flying can be reduced with some simple planning and preparation which will significantly reduce the mental and physical symptoms of travel anxiety. If you are worried about an upcoming trip because of the flight here are 5 tips to help you minimize stress often associated with airports and flying:
Prepare for the Journey
One of the biggest causes of stress when flying is that there is so much to remember. To minimize this stress, you can prepare ahead of time. Schedule all of your booking deadlines, write packing checklists and plan your itinerary. When you can work your way down a to-do list, you can focus on one task at a time without getting overwhelmed.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
While you usually don’t have to arrive at the airport until a couple of hours before the flight departs, this leaves you very little time to check-in, get through security and make it to the gate. When trying to avoid stress, this is a recipe for disaster.
Arriving at the airport in plenty of time will give you peace of mind. Consider booking airport transportation Denver to collect you from your home and take you to the airport as you won’t have to contend with the traffic or parking complications which can arise.
Try to Enjoy Your Spare Time
With the extra time at the airport, you can relax in the lounge with a book, enjoy some food and drink or indulge in some shopping. It may be a busy place, but with some noise-canceling headphones for music or an audiobook, you can take yourself away. Breathing exercises can also help to slow your heart rate. Here are some more ideas about how to kill time at an airport.
Try Not to Overreact to Setbacks
While everyone hopes that their experience at the airport will go to plan, delays and lengthy lines are commonplace at airports. If something goes wrong, there is no point in getting worked up about relatively small issues.
Ask yourself what is the worst that can come from the situation, what’s the best outcome and what is most likely to happen. By playing scenarios through in your head you can mentally prepare for the worst while also focusing on a positive outcome.
Plan a Treat for When You Get Home
When you are traveling for a vacation, you have something positive to look forward to, which can help you to overcome your anxiety. When you’re coming home, this motivation may not be quite the same, so consider planning something to look forward to for your routine. This could be a fun day out or coming home to family get together, but reward yourself for overcoming this challenge.
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