619: Preparing for anxiety free travel over the Holidays

This week on the Anxiety Slayer podcast, we’re talking about how you can prepare for travel during the holidays to minimize the anxiety that can come with traveling whether by car, plane or train.

 

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Notes from this week’s episode:

What to before you travel

  • Eat nourishing food and get a lot of rest well the day before travel

  • Create a “staging area” and pack steadily in advance to avoid last minute worries over personal items, passportsetc.

  • Layout your travel clothes the night before you leave

  • Gas up your vehicle

  • Write out or text pet care and home care instruction for a care giver if applicable

  • Create a travel check list

Allow Extra Time

  • rushing increases stress and anxiety

  • time for parking

  • time to use the restroom

  • time for a snack or warm drink

  • time to practice calm breathing or reading while waiting to board

Carry snacks

Bring some dates, crackers or oat biscuits with seeds, something to keep your blood sugar steady. Vata increases when we're hungry which can increase anxiety.

Keep hydrated

Warm drinks are best, but watch out for caffeine.

Bring your own calming herbal teas

For example: lemon balm, passion flower, chamomile, or mint or ginger if your stomach is upset when traveling, and ask for some hot water.

Bring Audio Support

some examples:

Remember to engage the calm point

How to do it: To find the point make a fist with your left hand and look for where your middle finger touches your palm. Now press that point with the thumb of your right hand for about a minute while you take deep steady breaths.

Relax your jaw and let your shoulders drop and relax as you hold the point and keep taking slow deep breaths.

Oil up

Apply oil to your nose and ears to calm vata and prevent dryness.

Make an Anxiety Slayer care kit

  • Rescue Remedy spray or pastilles (available from Amazon and most health stores)

  • some mints and/or lip balm - sometimes anxiety is triggered by physical sensations like a dry mouth.

  • a calming essential oil, like lavender

  • comfortable earphones, or earplugs - many anxiety sufferers are highly sensitive to noise, earphones can help you block out some external sound and choose what you want to hear

  • a journal or coloring book and a selection of markers

  • a relaxing book

  • a calming playlist on your phone or MP3 player

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