I’ve always had travel anxiety, but it’s gotten a little worse due to the pandemic and having a baby. How I got through it was being overly prepared. I always feel like that helps ease my anxiety. I do not like to run around the day before, just trying to figure out if I packed everything, especially now with the baby. I like to meditate every morning leading up to the travel day. I’d that a little hack of mine (before the pandemic and having a baby) was that I would play Candy Crush on my phone while everybody was boarding or while we were waiting for the plane to take off.
The thing about anxiety is that to feel more present (and grounded!), you have to break the cycle of these panic-inducing thoughts. And I know that’s easier said than done but having a baby changed the game for me. I have no choice but to be present because of Jupiter.
Having a baby makes you so present because keeping her safe is my main priority. I realized I had been struggling with this newfound responsibility. Did I clean that? Is she okay? Is anyone too close to her? That’s pretty much how my thoughts sound.
I’ve realized that I can either be present or let my anxiety take over for the moment, but I can’t do both. I’ve never wanted to let my stress affect my daughter, so I’m working on learning to let go. It’s just about trying your best and having faith it will be fine. It was so shocking, and I didn’t realize a baby could make you so present.
For the first time in my life (!!!) I didn’t have anxiety flying because all of my attention was truly on her and her needs. However, if you don’t have a baby, those little hacks like playing a game on your phone or simple distractions for your thoughts are super helpful.
Try meditating up until your next travel day and learn some breathwork techniques for when those high-stress times arrive. My go-to method is to breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, and then breathe out for four seconds. When we get anxious, we tend to breathe quickly and excessively (which could turn into a panic attack), and this slows it down fast.
Like I said, I’m honestly shocked that traveling with a baby helped me manage a fear I’ve had for so long. Travel anxiety is no joke, and in today’s climate, it’s even worse for many people. And having a baby is obviously not the only solution or way to help manage this, LOL. But, finding a simple distraction goes a long way when you need a quick fix.