HOW NOT TO LET ANXIETY STOP YOU FROM TRAVELING

I’m not alone—18% of the U.S. population has an anxiety disorder, and around a quarter of those cases are severe. Yet, fewer than 40% of people with anxiety get the treatment they need. I was one of those who didn’t seek help. Instead, I decided to travel, hoping it would help me become the confident person I wanted to be. I figured a panic attack on a beach in Thailand had to be better than one at home, right?

My family and friends weren’t on board with my plan. They thought traveling would be a huge mistake, convinced I wasn’t strong enough to handle the unfamiliar. In a way, their doubt pushed me even harder to prove them wrong. I wanted to show that I could do it, that I wasn’t as weak as they thought.

By the time I left, my travel anxiety had improved, but I was still struggling with panic attacks—from once a month to several times a day. But after four years of traveling, I can count the number of attacks I’ve had on one hand. Traveling, despite what everyone said, actually helped me overcome my anxiety.

But how do you even gather the courage to leave? How do you deal with anxiety on the road? And how does traveling help reduce anxiety?

Step 1: Preparing for travel with anxiety

Here’s how I calmed myself down and pushed through the anxiety to get on the road:

1. Remind yourself why you want to travel – Every time I thought about backing out, I imagined myself in the places I dreamed of visiting. Visualizing the life I wanted to live without anxiety helped me push through the fear. Positive affirmations like this, repeated often, made me believe that I could travel successfully.
2. Think about your life a year from now – If I had canceled my trip, a year later, I knew I’d regret not taking the chance. The fear of missing out on the experience was powerful enough to push me past the anxiety.
3. Find a community – Joining forums for people with anxiety, like “No More Panic,” was a game-changer. I got advice, calming techniques, and emotional support from others who understood what I was going through. Knowing that I wasn’t alone made a huge difference.
4. Plan your first few days carefully – Anxiety thrives in uncertainty, so I meticulously planned every detail of my first few days. From airport maps to taxi routes, having a clear plan helped me feel in control. The more I planned, the less I feared the unexpected.
5. Remember you can always go home – If it doesn’t work out, or if the anxiety becomes too overwhelming, you can always go back. That doesn’t make you a failure; it means you tried. Sometimes knowing you have an escape route makes a big difference.

Step 2: Coping with anxiety on the road

Even on the road, anxiety still creeps up. The fear of panic attacks abroad was real. What if I had an attack on a bus, or during a flight, with no escape? Here’s how I managed:

1. Establish a routine – Travel can be disorienting, so I created a routine to bring some normalcy to my day. Whether it was a morning jog or eating at a consistent time, these small constants helped ground me and reduce anxiety.
2. Don’t trust your intuition – Anxiety often makes you feel like something bad is always about to happen. If I listened to my anxious instincts, I would never leave my house. The key was learning to push through that irrational fear and take action, even when it felt wrong.
3. Set money aside for bad days – Traveling on a tight budget can add stress. If you’re always skimping on accommodations or transport, it can take a toll on your mental health. I learned to set aside extra money for situations where I needed a break—like staying in a nicer hotel after a rough experience.
4. Remember, bad luck can lead to growth – Bad things happen on the road, but you’ll survive. Every time I faced something unpleasant, I learned that I was stronger than I thought. Panic attacks or stressful situations are tough, but they don’t define you. They can help you grow.
5. Push yourself out of your comfort zone – Anxiety gets better when you face your fears head-on. Traveling forces you to do this every day. Whether it’s navigating public transport or saying “yes” to an unexpected invitation, stepping out of your comfort zone is the best way to build confidence.
6. Avoid triggers – For me, alcohol triggers anxiety, so I avoid it while traveling. Everyone has different triggers, so identify yours and minimize exposure to them.
7. Don’t compare your experience to others – It’s easy to feel inadequate when you see others having perfect trips on social media. Remember, everyone curates their experiences, and you never know what someone else might be struggling with. Focus on your own journey, not others.

Step 3: Turning my travel anxiety into a positive

Writing about my anxiety was one of the best decisions I made. I used to hide my struggles, thinking that being open about my panic attacks would make me seem weak or incapable as a traveler. But when I shared my story, I was flooded with messages from people who could relate. I even received hundreds of emails from others with anxiety who still dreamed of traveling, but were too scared to start.

That experience led to the publication of my book, How Not to Travel the World. It’s about pushing through your fears, embracing the uncomfortable, and finding freedom on the road. Travel has taught me more about overcoming anxiety than anything else. Sure, it’s scary sometimes, but it also challenges me, comforts me, and empowers me to keep going.

Now, I rarely feel the need to step out of my comfort zone because traveling has made it bigger and bigger. I’ve proven to myself that it’s possible to travel the world—even with a debilitating anxiety disorder. And if I can do it, so can you.