If you planning to go abroad for work, study or to permanently move there, you may feel excited and anxious at the same time. Also, if you’re feeling a lot of negativity about travelling, then it could increase anxiety and that could be normal. This is commonly referred to as travel anxiety and it can happen to anyone moving to a new country for the first time. In this article, we would be showing you how you can deal with travel anxiety and other relevant information.
What is Travel Anxiety?
If you are scared of moving abroad, especially if the country is an unfamiliar place, then you may be suffering from travel anxiety. Sometimes, you may not be able to pinpoint why you feel so much fear and other times it could be because you would be far from home. The good news is that there is a way to reduce anxiety and panic attacks even if have anxiety disorders. Even if it’s normal for you to feel nervous when moving to a new country, this can become serious and prevent you from making the most of your time there or even prevent you from going. If the anxiety is quite serious, then your mind may begin to make up false images and you would think it is real.
Causes of Travel Anxiety
There are several reasons why you may feel anxious about travelling abroad to either work, study or live. Although this differs from person to person, one or more of these causes may affect several people. Some common causes of anxiety include:
1. Aerophobia
People who suffer from aerophobia have fears of flying. This could be a major cause of travel anxiety and it can be triggered by a variety of factors:
- Fears of a plane crash.
- Air turbulence
- The thought of flying miles above the ground.
- Even when you are assured that the flight is safe, you may still feel anxious to go ahead with your plans to go abroad to study.
2. Cultural Shock
Some people are scared to adapt to a totally different way of life other than they have been used to. International students and immigrants have this fear since they face a different way things happen in their home country. This can become stressful and the thought of this can give you a headache when you think of travelling to another man’s land.
3. Too much Bad News
You may have heard so much bad news about where you are travelling to the extent that you don’t want to go there anymore. You may have heard how strict the policies of your new workplace are and how hard it is to do anything right there or how much people fail in a particular course in your new school or the crime rates in your new neighbourhood. Whatever it may be, you don’t need to hold all the bad news to heart and hope for the best.
4. Being Homesick
It can be hard leaving people that you have known all your life and moving to a place where absolutely no one knows you exist. This can make you very anxious and even affect your trip. It is okay to miss your folks and family in your home country but note that you would not be alone for long. You can make new friends at your school, neighbourhood or workplace.
5. Feeling of Sudden Independence
You can get anxious from feelings that you would soon be independent and fully transition into adulthood especially if you are a young adult. This feeling should not prevent you from stepping out and exploring what life has in store for you in another country.
Symptoms of Travel Anxiety
Some people do not know they are anxious about travelling abroad. So, if you observe some or all these signs, then you are probably anxious:
- Problems sleeping during the nights that lead up to the travel date
- Feeling constantly worried about travelling abroad.
- Feeling nervous applying about for your visa
- Being irritable and constantly angry.
- having panic attacks, which may cause fast heartbeats, sweaty palms etc.
Tips for Anxiety before Deciding to Travel Abroad either to Work, Study or Live.
1. Stay Connected to your Loved Ones
This can be really soothing when dealing with the anxiety of travelling abroad. Always stay in touch with the people who love you in your home country and you would never feel alone. Fortunately, technology has made it easy to reach out to your friends and family no matter the distance. You can communicate through video calls, chats, voice messages and so on. You can even go traditional by writing emails and letters and sending them home. But it may take some time to get to your country if you choose this method.
2. Network with People
You can look out for people who are from your home country moving to your new country. You can join social networks, groups etc with international students, skilled workers or normal people from your country. There are a plethora of ways you can network with new people online and offline. Be sure to make new friends and connections wherever you go. This way you would not feel left out when you travel. Get involved in student clubs and communities, go to conferences, explore new places and be friendly!
3. Keep a Journal
Not everyone loves to write but you don’t need to know how to write to express your thoughts on paper. Get a small note for journalling before you travel and write down your experiences in detail. As you write down your thoughts and read them over again, you may find out that you feel much better and less anxious as the days go by. You don’t have to write the best words or the longest paragraphs, just dump all your fears on paper and you’d be just fine.
4. Have a Bucket List
Even if the thought of moving to another country can make you nervous, you can reduce this by planning and creating a bucket list. Think of everything you want to do when you get there, the places you want to visit, concerts you would like to attend, a celebrity you hope to meet or anything that you’ve always wished to do. If you have no ideas, check the internet for areas for tourism in the country, monuments, parks etc. Turn your anxiety into excitement if you would like! Set goals each week or month and do not limit yourself.
5. Do the Things you Love
The fact that you are moving abroad in a few days should not get you sad and downcast. Don’t just stay in your house, feeling lonely and depressed. In these few moments, go and see people you love, your best friend, partner, cousin etc. If you haven’t eaten at a particular restaurant before, then try out their food. Watch a movie, you have been wanting to watch. Go to locations you have always wished to go to. Remember to make the best out of your stay in your home country. You may also decide not to have fun alone, go with your group of friends and just do the things that make you happy.
6. Take Medication
If you are prone to getting anxiety now and then, then you may consult your doctor as you may be suffering from anxiety disorders. If you have been on antidepressants, then you should not stop taking them as these may help you ease your anxiety and make you feel better. As you take your medication as prescribed by the doctor, be sure to eat healthily and rest well so your drugs can be more effective.
7. Learn the Language
If you are travelling to a country that speaks a language other than what you are used to, then you can learn the language during the waiting periods before you travel. If you don’t take out time to learn the language then you may have problems communicating with the natives of that country. Even if you cannot learn all aspects of the language, try to learn it up to a conversational level and this would prevent language barriers.
8. Build your Self Confidence
If the reason you are feeling anxious about travelling abroad is that you wonder if people would accept you, then you probably need to work on your self-esteem. You don’t need to be accepted by people to be the best you can be, you only need to be the best version of yourself. If you have problems accepting yourself for who you are, then it may affect the way others see you. So while waiting for your departure date, working on your self-esteem may help reduce the anxiety you feel.
Conclusion
Whether you want to work, study or live abroad, preparing for your trip can bring about feelings of anxiety. From being scared of flights to being homesick, there are so many reasons you may become nervous about travelling abroad. If you are feeling anxious about travelling abroad, then following the tips in this article can help you.
Tips for Anxiety before deciding to Travel Abroad either to Work, Study or Live.
If you planning to go abroad for work, study or to permanently move there, you may feel excited and anxious at the same time. Also, if you’re feeling a lot of negativity about travelling, then it could increase anxiety and that could be normal. This is commonly referred to as travel anxiety and it can happen to anyone moving to a new country for the first time. In this article, we would be showing you how you can deal with travel anxiety and other relevant information.
What is Travel Anxiety?
If you are scared of moving abroad, especially if the country is an unfamiliar place, then you may be suffering from travel anxiety. Sometimes, you may not be able to pinpoint why you feel so much fear and other times it could be because you would be far from home. The good news is that there is a way to reduce anxiety and panic attacks even if have anxiety disorders. Even if it’s normal for you to feel nervous when moving to a new country, this can become serious and prevent you from making the most of your time there or even prevent you from going. If the anxiety is quite serious, then your mind may begin to make up false images and you would think it is real.
Causes of Travel Anxiety
There are several reasons why you may feel anxious about travelling abroad to either work, study or live. Although this differs from person to person, one or more of these causes may affect several people. Some common causes of anxiety include:
1. Aerophobia
People who suffer from aerophobia have fears of flying. This could be a major cause of travel anxiety and it can be triggered by a variety of factors:
- Fears of a plane crash.
- Air turbulence
- The thought of flying miles above the ground.
- Even when you are assured that the flight is safe, you may still feel anxious to go ahead with your plans to go abroad to study.
2. Cultural Shock
Some people are scared to adapt to a totally different way of life other than they have been used to. International students and immigrants have this fear since they face a different way things happen in their home country. This can become stressful and the thought of this can give you a headache when you think of travelling to another man’s land.
3. Too much Bad News
You may have heard so much bad news about where you are travelling to the extent that you don’t want to go there anymore. You may have heard how strict the policies of your new workplace are and how hard it is to do anything right there or how much people fail in a particular course in your new school or the crime rates in your new neighbourhood. Whatever it may be, you don’t need to hold all the bad news to heart and hope for the best.
4. Being Homesick
It can be hard leaving people that you have known all your life and moving to a place where absolutely no one knows you exist. This can make you very anxious and even affect your trip. It is okay to miss your folks and family in your home country but note that you would not be alone for long. You can make new friends at your school, neighbourhood or workplace.
5. Feeling of Sudden Independence
You can get anxious from feelings that you would soon be independent and fully transition into adulthood especially if you are a young adult. This feeling should not prevent you from stepping out and exploring what life has in store for you in another country.
Symptoms of Travel Anxiety
Some people do not know they are anxious about travelling abroad. So, if you observe some or all these signs, then you are probably anxious:
- Problems sleeping during the nights that lead up to the travel date
- Feeling constantly worried about travelling abroad.
- Feeling nervous applying about for your visa
- Being irritable and constantly angry.
- having panic attacks, which may cause fast heartbeats, sweaty palms etc.
Tips for Anxiety before Deciding to Travel Abroad either to Work, Study or Live.
1. Stay Connected to your Loved Ones
This can be really soothing when dealing with the anxiety of travelling abroad. Always stay in touch with the people who love you in your home country and you would never feel alone. Fortunately, technology has made it easy to reach out to your friends and family no matter the distance. You can communicate through video calls, chats, voice messages and so on. You can even go traditional by writing emails and letters and sending them home. But it may take some time to get to your country if you choose this method.
2. Network with People
You can look out for people who are from your home country moving to your new country. You can join social networks, groups etc with international students, skilled workers or normal people from your country. There are a plethora of ways you can network with new people online and offline. Be sure to make new friends and connections wherever you go. This way you would not feel left out when you travel. Get involved in student clubs and communities, go to conferences, explore new places and be friendly!
3. Keep a Journal
Not everyone loves to write but you don’t need to know how to write to express your thoughts on paper. Get a small note for journalling before you travel and write down your experiences in detail. As you write down your thoughts and read them over again, you may find out that you feel much better and less anxious as the days go by. You don’t have to write the best words or the longest paragraphs, just dump all your fears on paper and you’d be just fine.
4. Have a Bucket List
Even if the thought of moving to another country can make you nervous, you can reduce this by planning and creating a bucket list. Think of everything you want to do when you get there, the places you want to visit, concerts you would like to attend, a celebrity you hope to meet or anything that you’ve always wished to do. If you have no ideas, check the internet for areas for tourism in the country, monuments, parks etc. Turn your anxiety into excitement if you would like! Set goals each week or month and do not limit yourself.
5. Do the Things you Love
The fact that you are moving abroad in a few days should not get you sad and downcast. Don’t just stay in your house, feeling lonely and depressed. In these few moments, go and see people you love, your best friend, partner, cousin etc. If you haven’t eaten at a particular restaurant before, then try out their food. Watch a movie, you have been wanting to watch. Go to locations you have always wished to go to. Remember to make the best out of your stay in your home country. You may also decide not to have fun alone, go with your group of friends and just do the things that make you happy.
6. Take Medication
If you are prone to getting anxiety now and then, then you may consult your doctor as you may be suffering from anxiety disorders. If you have been on antidepressants, then you should not stop taking them as these may help you ease your anxiety and make you feel better. As you take your medication as prescribed by the doctor, be sure to eat healthily and rest well so your drugs can be more effective.
7. Learn the Language
If you are travelling to a country that speaks a language other than what you are used to, then you can learn the language during the waiting periods before you travel. If you don’t take out time to learn the language then you may have problems communicating with the natives of that country. Even if you cannot learn all aspects of the language, try to learn it up to a conversational level and this would prevent language barriers.
8. Build your Self Confidence
If the reason you are feeling anxious about travelling abroad is that you wonder if people would accept you, then you probably need to work on your self-esteem. You don’t need to be accepted by people to be the best you can be, you only need to be the best version of yourself. If you have problems accepting yourself for who you are, then it may affect the way others see you. So while waiting for your departure date, working on your self-esteem may help reduce the anxiety you feel.
Conclusion
Whether you want to work, study or live abroad, preparing for your trip can bring about feelings of anxiety. From being scared of flights to being homesick, there are so many reasons you may become nervous about travelling abroad. If you are feeling anxious about travelling abroad, then following the tips in this article can help you.
