Janhvi Kapoor on ‘travel anxiety’ and missing her pets: What experts want you to know

Counselling psychologist Priya Parulekar explained that travel anxiety is fear of travelling or getting out of the comfort zone of your home and going to new places. According to her, there can be a bunch of triggers behind this phenomenon. It can be a result of a fear of flying, one’s own or loved ones health, activating some physical pain, or manifest as seperation anxiety from those at home and not travelling with you – such as your spouse, family members or even pets. A fear of finances, worry about not getting sufficient sleep, planning the itinerary, following the schedule, or having to wake up and eat at a certain time, meeting new people — or a plain old fear of safety, may be the culprit behind this.

When it comes to managing the symptoms, Parulekar advised to first become aware of the specific triggers that cause travel anxiety. “A person with generalised anxiety may be anxious of many factors including travel. However, a person without general anxiety may be uncomfortable only when it comes to travelling,” she explained.

An awareness of triggers, followerd by acceptance on how it affects you can go a long way in helping you counter it’s impact. Taking action by getting help, making plans earlier, getting insurance plans, talking to someone about the triggers are also good suggestions. “If the anxiety is severe and there is a risk of developing a panic attack, taking anti anxiety medication along for emergences, or taking someone along with you on the trip can come in handy,” she said.

Muskan Marwa, Clinical Psychologist at Mpower – Mumbai, shared that travel anxiety entails worry or nervousness about unfamiliar environment, or parting away from loved ones, including pets. Identifying symptoms include recognizing physical symptoms such as restlessness, rapid heartbeat, sleeping problems, and emotional indicators including irritability, persistent worry, and difficulty concentrating.

Common triggers of travel anxiety may include fear of the unknown, unpleasant memories from the past, stress from delays or unexpected changes in plans, or worries about the safety of the loved ones while they are away travelling.

To manage these symptoms, she recommended using relaxation methods like progressive muscle relaxation or deep breathing. Organizing and planning trips well in advance, making sure that pets are properly cared for and using video conversations to stay in touch are very helpful. Grounding techniques and positive imagery can also be practiced to promote calmness.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.