4 Ways To Make Travel Less Intimidating
How to make travel less intimidating?
Many of us ponder this question at some point before taking off on that first trip, especially when faced with the common fears and uncertainties that come with exploring new places.
Whether it’s anxiety about flying, the stress of planning, or the unpredictability of new environments, travel can often seem daunting!
Like many travelers, my first major trip was filled with nerves and excitement. I had a mix of emotions, including some doubt and fears as it was the big first trip I would take without my family. This was my study abroad trip.
But from that experience to now—that I’ve been to 13 countries and lived abroad in 2 – I’ve realized a few key things that I didn’t work on before my first trip that could have definitely eased my travel nerves.
From this and other experiences, I’ve come up with 4 ways to help reduce travel fears and boost confidence.
This post is for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the idea of traveling, whether it’s your first trip if you’re looking to overcome previous travel anxieties, or if you’re headed to a new destination.
Stick around till the end for a special free bonus that will help you start addressing your travel concerns from home today!
1. Work on your mindset
It’s easier said than done, but your mindset is everything when it comes to lessening the intimidation around travel.
Your mindset will impact whether or not you can travel to begin with (at home, even before you purchase a plane ticket) and whether or not you will make the most of the experience once you’re traveling.
If you feel intimidated by travel, investigate further and notice the resistance—what images, feelings, and scenarios come up for you that make your stomach and mind flip?
Be honest with yourself, as the more you get clear on what the resistance is, you’ll be able to identify it then, and change the story around it.
You’re literally unmasking the fear when you identify it.
Instead of it being powerful in it’s ominous and ambiguous yet powerful state that keeps you from traveling, look at it straight on – what’s the actual fear?.
Ask yourself questions about why you feel the intimidation around travel, what kind of evidence is there for it to even exist in your mind, and what would happen if you flipped the story around.
Old story: I’m afraid of getting lost.
New story: I will have Google Maps and a phone with data, so I can’t get lost.
Changing the story from negative to positive will start to change the mindset and lessen the intimidation with travel.
And as we are currently in quarantine, you literally have the opportunity and time luxury to change the story at your purposeful leisure.
>> Read More: Read These Quotes To Help Cultivate A Manifesting Mindset
2. Set your travel intentions
When it comes to lessening the intimidation around travel, consider your initial intentions—basically, why do you want to go in the first place?
There is no right or wrong answer; it’s just a simple question and answer to help you remember the magical, beautiful, and inspiring reasons why you want to travel in the first place.
What are the feelings, experiences, and images that come to mind?
I’m a big believer in setting intentions before doing anything in life, especially major things that may cause a bit of resistance. Identifying your intentions for your travels allows you to get clear with yourself about what it is that you want to experience and get out of the experience and country you’ll visit.
>> Read More: Setting The Travel Intention
3. Research your destination
Last but certainly not least, research and knowledge are key to travel.
Once you’ve been able to realize and establish your intentions for the trip, research your destination!
This will not only give you the information that will come in handy when you’re traveling but also the facts and a snapshot of the potential for some amazing experiences to boost your faith in yourself as a traveler and debunk any fears or uncertainty that may still roam in your mind.
Something I tried to do as much as I could before traveling to Greece was watch as many travel vlogs as possible, read other travel blogs on people’s experiences in foreign countries, and see from a regular person’s perspective what travel was like for them.
The more I indulged in this content, the more I realized: If they can do it, why can’t I?
I had no answer or excuse.
>> Read More: How I Manifested My Trip to Greece – And How You Can Too!
4. Build up your own confidence
The more you travel, the more you will develop a simple but powerful knowing in yourself and your ability to travel.
You build up the habit of traveling, which makes travel more natural to you the more you do it.
In other words, it’s not that travel is easier for some of us; it’s just that we have done it enough times (which varies from person to person) to create a knowing in ourselves that we can do it again, with a bit of less intimidation each time.
Your perspective on travel, of yourself as a traveler, is important to changing and creating more incredible travel opportunities.
The way you speak to yourself and view yourself as a traveler is huge and important to highlight.
The good news is that changing old stories that don’t support your new story is easy, and I have the perfect resource for you!
Free bonus just for you: Traveler Affirmations
Rewire and change the story surrounding travel!
See yourself as the confident traveler that you are – you have it in you ☺️ Positive affirmations are known to help change beliefs and thoughts the more you repeat them.
They help release little by little fears, worries, and doubts, which will begin to shift your mind, and therefore your life towards the success that you want.
I LOVE affirmations and fully believe in their power, so I hope that this list of 30 travel affirmations can help you rewire your brain to view yourself as the traveler that you already are, and support your new story!
Concluding thoughts on 4 Ways To Make Travel Less Intimidating
I hope this helped some of you out there that may be on the cusp of going on your first travel experience.
I know there can be anxiety and nerves about the “what ifs” but as a last tip, view your nerves as a feeling of excitement.
Turn the nerves into excitement and feel the excitement for travel in your heart, stomach and mind (where nerves manifest themselves in the body).
View it as extreme happiness and excitement for your travels, and step into it like the traveler that you are.
You DO have it in you.
To many more opportunities of travel and uncovering your travel soul self ✨
