Traveling should be exciting, but for many of us, it comes with anxiety and fear. I know this feeling all too well—I used to experience severe health anxiety whenever I traveled, even to other places in Europe. It was especially bad when I visited different continents. Before every trip, I found myself researching hospitals in the area, fearing something might happen to me.
But over time, I learned how to manage my anxiety and stop letting it take over my travel experiences. Now, I want to share what worked for me and offer additional tips to help you feel more at ease before and during your trip.
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How I Overcame Travel Anxiety
The most important thing that helped me was not giving my anxiety energy. Every time an anxious thought came to my mind—like What if something happens? What if I get sick?—I made a conscious decision not to engage with it.
Here’s what I did:
I acknowledged the thought but didn’t dwell on it – Instead of fighting the fear, I simply let it pass as quickly as it came.
I shifted my focus to something positive – I thought about the excitement of the trip, the new experiences waiting for me, and the beautiful places I would see.
I did my research but didn’t obsess over it – It’s always good to check safety information and local healthcare options, but once I had the necessary knowledge, I stopped overanalyzing.
I reminded myself that anxiety is just a feeling – It doesn’t predict the future. Most of the things I worried about never actually happened.
With time, these small changes helped me stop letting anxiety control my travels.
