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When it was time to prepare for travel for my first time, I had so many thoughts and emotions running through my head. My boyfriend and I were about to embark on a 9-month trip to Europe to study abroad in Italy, Spain, and England. I was excited, anxious, happy, excited, hopeful … oh and excited!
I went through my checklist several (and I mean several) times to be sure I was completely prepared for the adventure ahead. Clothes? Check. Toiletries? Check. Passport? Check. But I still felt like I was forgetting something. It wasn’t until after I left for my trip that I realized what I had forgotten.
I didn’t mentally prepare for travel… I didn’t even recognize the importance of it until I was already abroad. My excitement to travel led to my oversight of the need to mentally prepare for a completely novel, overwhelming experience.
Whether you are traveling long-term, traveling a far distance, or maybe just taking a weekend trip, you should mentally prepare for what’s to come. Almost like a mental preparation checklist. Here are some steps that I should have considered before taking off and that you should consider before your next trip:
1. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for travel
This is probably the number one thing that I failed at! I stayed up until midnight getting everything prepared the night before we left, and we had to leave at 4am for the airport. Nothing like last minute! This type of procrastination leads to unnecessary stress and a negative mindset, which is something you want to avoid at the start of a travel adventure. My recommendation is to have everything ready at least two days in advance so that you can relax and have a smooth day of travel.
2. Clean your space
The last thing that you want to think about while you’re away, whether short-term or long-term, is the mess you left back home. By leaving your home clean and organized, it can help put the mind at ease while you travel.
3. Set a schedule to keep in touch
One of the most emotionally taxing aspects of traveling is homesickness and missing your loved ones. Set times to get in touch with them while you’re gone, whether you send a daily text or FaceTime once a week. By keeping this connection, it can help you feel more secure and at ease with the long distance or lengthy time frames.
4. Have a visitation plan (for long-term travel)
For some people this may seem or be impossible, but there is no harm in asking. If you are traveling long-term and if any of your loved ones have the means to do so, invite them to meet you somewhere. It is the perfect excuse for your family or friends to travel – they get to see you and experience a new place! By knowing that you will get to see your loved ones, it will provide a sense of relief and hope whenever you are missing them.
5. Pay mind to mental health disorders
If you have already been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, ensure beforehand that you have access to the resources you need while abroad. Do you need regular therapy? Medication? Specific coping skills? As easy as it may be to leave everything physical behind, your mental health goes with you everywhere, and it is important to be prepared on how to address it.
6. Be aware of triggers
If you can count on one thing with travel, it is the fact that you will likely encounter new or unfamiliar situations. With this, you may face risks to your mental health or factors that can contribute to psychological distress including differences in weather, changes in sleep patterns, uncertainty, lack of privacy, etc. By becoming conscious of such triggers before departing, you can create a plan of how to confront them immediately!
7. Learn how to recognize signs of mental health challenges
Although you may not have any pre-existing mental health conditions, it doesn’t mean that you are going to be exempt from experiencing some mental health challenges while abroad. It’s normal and completely okay! Traveling can cause one to feel the effects of stress, loneliness, anxiety, and more. Learn to recognize the signs of mental health challenges so that you can seek help if needed.
8. Do your research
When you are more familiar with a location or culture, it helps to feel more comfortable. I recommend researching what to pack, cultural customs, must-see attractions, safety precautions, and more. It is likely that the more knowledge you gather, the less you will feel the effects of stress, anxiety, loneliness, worry, etc.
9. Brush up on the language.
No, you don’t need to spend months learning the language of every place you are visiting (although, it wouldn’t hurt). However, learning key phrases in the language of the destination you are traveling to is a great way to prepare for travel. It will help you to feel like less of an outsider when surrounded by locals. This practice would have similar mental health benefits of doing research.
10. Practice confidence
Nothing screams “tourist” like someone who lacks confidence in a new place. If you feel confident in your ability to adapt and at least act like you fit in, you are likely to become accustomed quicker. By doing so, you can establish more normalcy in a new place.
11. Break out of your comfort zone.
Use your confidence to break out of your comfort zone and meet new people. One of the best perks of traveling is getting to know other cultures and people. Interacting with new people and forming relationships can help battle feelings of loneliness and induce feelings of belongingness.
12. Let go of any ethnocentrism
When you travel to another location, you must realize that you are a guest in the home of the locals, and those locals most likely take pride in their home. One of the most preconceived notions about us Americans is that we are ignorant and ethnocentric, which can often be true. By releasing the belief that your own culture is superior, it will allow deeper immersion into the local culture and, again, a stronger sense of belonging.
13. Practice being open-minded
Along with letting go of ethnocentrism, open your mind to the new experiences you are about to have. The only way to truly experience travel is to be open to the customs, culture, and experiences. This practice will help to enrich your mind in ways that would not have been otherwise possible.
14. Get excited!
Look up the places you want to visit or create a list of goals that you want to accomplish while you’re gone. This will open the door for excitement and enthusiasm to take over feelings of fear and anxiety.
15. Take a deep breath
Whether it is now, right before your trip, on your flight, or while you are abroad, just remember to take a deep breath every once in a while. Sometimes, you get caught up in the constant commotion of traveling that you forget to take a moment to breathe and soak it all in.
As someone who studied psychology at the time of my long-term study abroad experience, one would think that mental health would be at the forefront of my mind before taking off. However, it is easy to get overwhelmed with traveling and forget to focus on yourself and your own wellbeing. Travel can affect the mind in several ways, and it is important to recognize that going into it! Now, tick the boxes on your mental health checklist and be sure to fully prepare for travel!
This is such an interesting topic to combine with travel, mental health and psychology. Kudos.
This is a fantastic article and one of very few on its kind. Thank you for your insights and observations and support!