How can we stop ourselves from falling into this trap?

Taking a break from daily life can do a world of good. The difference between a holiday that helps and one that hinders could be put down to a fundamental question: are you travelling to enrich your mind, or to escape it? Here are five tips on how to look after your mind when travelling:

Prioritise self-care

Mental health doesn’t take a break when you are on holiday. If a routine is something that helps you to manage tasks and be in control, try to create them on your routine while you are away. It is important to prioritize things and turn them into mindful habits. It keeps you grounded when you are at home, whether eating well, getting in a daily yoga workout, taking medication or making time to do things you enjoy.

Setting Boundaries

You only need to know the direction, not the destination. So, just because travel is meant to push you out of your comfort circle, doesn’t mean you should force yourself to engage in activities that you find upsetting or anxiety-provoking. You can simply choose what genuinely makes you calm and happy. Know your limits, communicate these to your travel companions, meet new people, and explore the place as possible as you can.

Don’t Suffer In Silence

Communication can be more effective but challenging while travelling abroad. This can be particularly hard if you are not surrounded by people you trust or know well. However, it might feel at first, that sharing any anxious thoughts or feelings with others will help to take away some of their power, and will help you feel less alone. Later, you find that you are not the only one in your group finding things difficult.

Travelling Is Beyond Expectation

On holiday, many travellers have immense pressure to have the best time ever or become the best version of themselves. Remember, this is all about travelling filled with the worst and most wonderful experiences, happenings, and random joy. Like all things in life, travel comes with ups and downs, and feeling low or anxious sometimes is normal.

Get Support If You Need

Just as you would seek medical attention if you broke your leg or caught a stomach bug, it’s important to find support for your mental health if you find yourself struggling. This could mean reaching out to friends or family at home, opening up to someone on the trip or finding a mental health professional at your hotel or in a nearby town.