Traveling can be, in a word, stressful.
First, you have to make sure you’re on time to the airport. If you miss your flight you’ve quite literally missed the most important part of your trip. If you didn’t pack quickly enough you’ll fall behind–if you packed too quickly you might forget something.
Once you’re there, you’ve got to stick to your itinerary, you have to get to your hotel, get to your meetings, get dinner and get some sleep.
It’s travel; it’s regimented. It’s hectic. It’s everything seemingly happening at once, unfolding before your eyes.
It’s stressful.
But it doesn’t have to be.
Plan Ahead For the Travel
You know the basics of traveling. You know that it’s best to plan way, way ahead of time. You know you have to get to the airport early (earlier than you expect to have to) and you know that you should be prepared.
It’s important to also ensure you’re prepared for your flight ahead of time. This can include packing the night before, laying out what you’ll be wearing and preparing a small bag of toiletries ahead of time can make the trek to the airport and the flight a little less stressful on your end.
Get Enough Sleep
This can’t be stressed (no pun intended) enough. Sleep is absolutely vital to being a functioning, productive member of society, even if you’re just on a vacation.
No one wants to be the zombie-looking individual wandering around a board meeting or stumbling through the streets almost asleep on your feet. Getting a good night’s sleep both the night before your flight as well as every day spent traveling can help the entire process move more smoothly. Getting adequate sleep can help reduce levels of stress, this is a fairly well known fact. Sleeping when you’re outside of your own bed, however, can be slightly more difficult.
Some people claim they sleep better in hotel beds. If you’re not among that minority, consider bringing your own pillow–something as small as this can have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep.
Settle Down With Good Music
Flying itself can be stressful, particularly if you’re among the somewhat large group of people who suffer from aviophobia. If flying makes you uneasy or you’re someone who spends most of the flight worrying about accommodations and how the trip will go, unpack your ipod, plug in your headphones and relax. Unwinding with some of your favorite music can be an overwhelmingly relaxing experience.
Just…Relax
I know, it’s easier said than done. I know, it’s what this entire blog post is about. And I know, you can’t just relax as a result of someone telling you to relax.
But consider the fact that you are, after all, traveling. You’re seeing the world, whether it’s for business or pleasure. You’re experiencing a new area, or returning to an old favorite. You’re traveling. And whatever happens is going to happen.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the view.