Welcome back to “On Purpose,” where the journey of self-discovery never takes a backseat, or so I tell myself anyway! Are you gearing up for the sun-drenched adventures that summer promises?! Well, over the coming weeks, I’ll be your own personal psychological travel companion sharing insights that aim to transform your travels into purposeful quests through the lens of psychological flexibility techniques.
Before departure, just to take a moment and reflect. I appreciate the candid feedback on last week’s article deep dive into Relational Frame Theory. It’s a complex topic, I get it - it was a steep learning curve for me when I first discovered it in 2017. It’s interesting to me that my mind did what it does best and automatically went into Critical Knightly (former primary school principal who beat me) “you idiot, people didn’t get it, you’re so stupid…you’re no good at writing”. But despite what my mind tells me, I’m a firm believer in the power of knowledge, the importance of sharing it and the capacity of our minds to grasp even the most intricate concepts. So, let’s not shy away from the challenging topics - we’re smarter than the mind tells inner critic tells us! Perhaps read it again, and look at other resources on the topic.
What is travel anxiety and how can you handle it more effectively?
Travel anxiety is a less talked about but widely experienced phenomenon that can turn preparing for and the holiday itself into a stress-filled ordeal.
Travel anxiety can manifest in various thoughts and concerns. Some common travel anxiety thoughts that people may have:
1. Worrying About the Journey:
- Concerns about flight delays or cancellations.
- Anxiety over losing your bags or important documents like passports.
2. Fear of the Unknown:
- Apprehension about being in unfamiliar places.
- Nervousness about not knowing the local language or customs.
3. Health and Safety Concerns:
- Fear of falling sick while away from home.
- Worries about the availability of medical care in case of an emergency.
4. Social Anxiety:
- Stress about meeting new people or social interactions.
- Concerns about appearing foolish due to cultural norms.
5. Financial Stress:
- Thoughts about not having enough money to last through the trip.
- Anxiety over unexpected expenses.
6. Routine Disruption:
- Unease about breaking away from a regular routine.
- Stress over missing work or responsibilities at home.
7. Accommodation and Logistics:
- Worrying about the details and comfort of accommodations.
- Concerns about how to navigate to necessary locations like supermarkets or tourist spots.
8. Environmental Factors:
- Fear of crowds or being in cramped spaces like airplanes.
- Anxiety about potential accidents or disasters.
To help with travel anxiety, as you pack your bags and map out itineraries, it’s crucial to consider how some mental wellness techniques can help you handle these kinds of challenges more effectively. Firstly, it’s important to say. Your travel anxiety is very normal. It’s a very normal human experience. It’s your mind attempting to prepare you, helping you to think through the things you might want to approach or things it wants you to avoid. Ultimately, what the mind wants from you is to take some responsible action. How do you do that?
Taking Responsible Action Through Defusion.
Defusion is a cognitive flexibility skill that plays a crucial role in how we handle our thoughts. It’s about simply “noticing” the very act of thinking itself without getting entangled in the content of those thoughts. This technique allows you to observe your mental processes from a distance, rather than being immediately influenced by the
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Here’s three bite-size techniques that will help you practice defusion:
Acknowledge Your Thoughts: Recognise that thoughts are merely words and images passing through your mind and are not inherently true or false. You can do this by practicing saying something like… “Ahh, there’s my mind thinking those thoughts again, isn’t that interesting”, either silently to yourself or out loud. I do this in the park a lot, people do throw you a look, but I know that they’re conversing silently with themselves anyway.
Create Distance: Imagine your thoughts as leaves floating down a stream or clouds passing in the sky. You noticing them, as they drift by without pulling you along is the aim. Pop a thought on a leaf e.g., “I better get to the airport on time”… and watch that thought float away down stream. OR try this phrase.. “I notice that…my mind is telling me thought that.. what if I have a panic attack on the plane? This technique is super useful for undermining your mind’s unhelpful thoughts, it takes the energy out of them. Give it a go, and insert your most unhelpful of thoughts. Practice makes perfect!
Redirect Your Focus: Instead of striving for clarity and guarantees or trying to make sense of every thought, gently redirect your attention to what matters in the present moment. Remind yourself of who matters and what matters to you about your travel arrangements.
By practicing defusion, you can free yourself from unhelpful thought patterns that often lead to stress and anxiety. It empowers you to redirect your yearning for coherence and understanding towards actions that enrich your life and align with your values or what’s important in life.
Remember, it’s not about stopping thoughts or fighting them; it’s about changing your relationship with them. Defusion is a step towards mental freedom and clarity.
Subscribe, share and come on back for more next week, when I’ll be delving into more strategies to help handle your travel woes in more effective ways, ensuring that your trips are remembered for the joy they should bring, not the stress you feel they carry.
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THANK YOU!!
To those who’ve been following my work by subscribing, your readership means a lot. Thank you. And hold onto your hats, because I’ve been quietly crafting a strategic life purpose project that’s about to see the light of day...soon(ish). I feel it’s time to step aside and let my own potential shine through. Do you want to too? Sometimes, the only thing standing in our way is ourselves. Here’s to moving toward what matters, with purpose and poise 🧭
Thanks for reading On Purpose by Emmet A. Colville! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
