Maya Advises: Fear of travelling after COVID?
Are you facing a fear of travelling after COVID? Help yourself by reading the Maya Advises column and free yourself from fear.
We were all restricted during the pandemic, which was the hardest thing. Closing schools and restricting travel have been the most challenging challenges in the past two years.
It took months and years for people to be able to visit their families. Travel is now accessible and possible again. The world is our oyster; we can reach our favourite destinations and travel for pleasure or business.
Fear
However, some people experience anxiety and fear when travelling. Having been under restrictions and pressure for two years has impacted us on many levels. As a result, the idea of travel became frightening—some people are too scared even to leave their homes.
Since the media has convinced us for so long that staying at home is our only safe place, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Advice
This article aims to help those who fear travelling and wish to let go of the worry of overthinking.
You can prepare for your trip by following these steps:
- It is essential to keep in mind that you are not the only person who travels. Every day, millions of people travel, safely reaching their destinations and staying healthy. Train stations and airports are once again happy places today, full of people who share identical goals—comfortable, happy and safe travels. 2
- It would help if you avoided triggers that increase your anxiety. Don’t focus on the statistics and numbers of how many people have Covid. Instead of listening to “breaking news,” read the news that describes the actual situation without adding drama. Statistics show that most people enjoy travel without incidents or unwanted outcomes.3
- As long as you follow the recommended measures, you should be fine. Keep yourself and others safe by following the rules, wearing a mask while travelling, keeping your distance, and taking other precautions.4
- Identify the things that are within your control. Visualize yourself travelling safely to your destination. The weeks leading up to your trip are the best time to meditate and calm your mind. Overcoming our fears requires us to learn how to manage our thoughts. Consider how you want to feel during the trip. Once you arrive, what will you do? Choosing what to focus on is entirely up to you.5
- Distract yourself. When travelling, take enough distractions to calm your anxiety. You can read books, use a laptop or tablet, browse magazines, or write in your journal. 6.
- You should be aware that we would still be on lockdown if travelling were that dangerous.
If you want to overcome fear – face it
The first time I travelled after the pandemic was from Germany to Macedonia. I wanted to visit my family and friends. I remember the unpleasant feeling of fear and concern about whether I wanted to get on a plane and fly.
I wasn’t feeling 100% sure, so I did the steps I named before. The first step was making the decision and booking the tickets.
The second step was facing my fear and reasoning the facts and the evidence that now travels are safe again.
As I approached the airport, I became more and more relaxed. I told myself that I had travelled a hundred times before, and this time would be no different than others. The last peace of discomfort was gone once I got on the plane and arrived at my destination. There was a good payoff for overcoming my fears. Meeting my family and spending some time with my friends gave me great satisfaction.
After this experience, I relaxed into the idea of travelling and visiting Croatia and Tenerife in the last year.
If you are someone who is overthinking whether to travel or not, I hope you will overcome your worries soon. I wish you a happy summer full of adventure, travel, and fun.
For more advice and any help, you can reach out to Maya.
Editorial Comment:
I’m so grateful to Maya that even after the personal experience I had last week, I will never stop travelling and exploring the world.
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Photo by Jaqueline Fritz on Unsplash
