I will let you in on a little secret. I love to travel, love being on the road, rarely relish the idea of coming home but once I do, I turn into a homebody and getting up the will to leave again is hard to do.
I have self-diagnosed myself with pre-travel anxiety. This fear comes in many forms-but it's something that many people feel.
Do you worry about leaving something behind on a trip? Do you find yourself anxious about flight delays? Are you constantly checking and rechecking your bookings?
Just like flight delays or missed connections can derail a vacation, pre-travel anxiety can easily put a damper on an amazing trip.
Sleepless nights and stomach aches do not give way to a seamless experience. Worse yet, a pre-trip meltdown can make your worst fears come true. When you aren't at the top of your game, passports can be forgotten, or important medications left behind, devices misplaced-the list goes on.
While some people may turn to their therapist for most of us, some practical advice can combat the stress:
-I find making lists of everything I need to bring and checking each item off reduces my fear of leaving something behind.
-Rather than waiting to pack until the last minute, I try to pack at least one day before-or I at least make my list of things I need well ahead of time.
-I try not to plan anything for the night before I depart so that I can go to bed at a decent time, even if I don't need to be at the airport early in the morning.
-I have a list of three things that I know I must have: passport, credit card and mobile phone. If I have these three things, I know I can at least get myself home.
But one of the best ways to prevent pre-trip anxiety is to use a travel agent.
First off, your travel agent will relieve anxiety by planning the trip for you-which is definitely less stressful.
However, travel agents can also handle some of the root causes of pre-trip anxiety for you.
Advisors provide clients with a full itinerary that details everywhere they need to be. Many will provide customers with a list of what to bring. Forget something? They can help retrieve the item or assist clients with getting what they need while they are away.
Having a travel agent means having someone in your corner every step of the way during a trip that will help you and advocate for you.
So don't let travel anxiety turn you into a cranky mess on your next vacation-let someone else do the worrying for you.
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