For many, the idea of travel sparks excitement and adventure. However, for those dealing with trauma-related anxiety, it can feel overwhelming—even paralysing. The holiday season, in particular, brings unique pressures, as the need to travel and connect with friends and family will often clash with the distress of traumatic past experiences and unresolved fears.
What Is Trauma-Related Travel Anxiety?
Trauma-related travel anxiety arises when past experiences linked to travel have left a lasting emotional impact. These might include:
- Accidents or close calls (e.g. car, plane, or train crashes).
- Natural disasters while travelling.
- Health crises that occurred away from home.
- Negative or unsafe experiences like getting lost or being in dangerous situations.
With that said, triggers don’t need to be big events. They can also be something small, like reading a news article or watching a movie.
This type of anxiety can manifest in avoidance behaviours, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or feelings of disconnection. While it’s the brain’s way of protecting you from perceived danger, it can hold you back from experiencing life and travel on your terms.
The Importance of Root Causes
When it comes to fears and phobias, the key to lasting relief is addressing the root cause. Trauma often creates loops in the mind, where past events replay or reinforce negative beliefs. Techniques such as timeline reframing or identifying and neutralising subconscious triggers can help break these loops, allowing you to move forward without your fears controlling you.
In addition, confronting the fear through exposure alone may heighten anxiety instead of alleviating it. Even though some recommend this form of therapy, it is not something I would suggest without addressing the root cause first.
Practical Tips to Navigate Travel with Trauma-Related Anxiety
While addressing the root cause is the ultimate goal, there are steps you can take right now to make travel feel more manageable:
Reframe Your Perspective
Instead of seeing travel as an obstacle, consider it an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. Every small step—whether it’s planning the trip or just packing a bag—is progress. Acknowledge these wins to build momentum and reinforce confidence.
Prepare Without Overloading Yourself
Knowing what to expect can reduce uncertainty and anxiety. While planning key details—like accommodations, transport, and emergency contacts—is helpful, don’t overpack your itinerary and leave room for flexibility. Overplanning every moment can feel as overwhelming as having no plan at all.
Tip: Bring items that provide comfort and familiarity, such as essential oils, a playlist of calming music, or a trusted book. These small anchors can help ground you during moments of stress.
Use Calming Techniques on the Go
Mastering your breathing is one of the most effective tools you have. Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing—inhaling through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth—can help regulate your body’s stress response in moments of anxiety.
Mindfulness exercises, like focusing on the sensations around you (what you see, hear, and feel), can also keep you present and reduce racing thoughts. Carrying small tactile items like a stress ball or smooth stone can provide an additional grounding effect.
Anchoring
You can also learn specific anchoring techniques that are highly effective for changing state and grounding you in the moment. Physical anchoring, for example, connects a specific gesture to a positive emotional state. It works like this:
- Recall a Positive Memory: Think of a time when you felt calm, powerful, or happy.
- Engage All Senses: Fully immerse yourself in the memory. Focus on the sights, sounds, and feelings.
- Anchor the Feeling: At the peak of the positive emotion, squeeze your fist tightly and hold it for a few seconds.
- Repeat to Reinforce: Practice the action several times to strengthen the connection.
- Use When Needed: In moments of anxiety or stress, squeeze your fist to trigger the anchored positive emotion.
This technique is designed to anchor the positive state, making it accessible whenever you need it.
Havening
Another calming technique that can be very beneficial is havening.
This psychosensory technique involves gentle self-touch—such as stroking the arms, face, or hands—to create calming delta brain waves and promote relaxation in order to alleviate stress, anxiety, and trauma-related responses.
It’s a very simple and quick form of self-soothing that can be performed anywhere.
- Arm Havening: Gently stroke down the length of your upper arms, from shoulders to elbows, in a soothing manner.
- Face Havening: Lightly stroke your forehead and cheeks with your fingertips.
- Hand Havening: Rub the palms of your hands together or gently massage each finger.
Engaging in these actions for several minutes can help calm the nervous system and alleviate anxiety, and it’s a useful approach when you need to seek immediate relief.
Replace Myths with Facts
If your anxiety is fuelled by specific fears (like safety concerns), take a moment to research your destination. Understanding local infrastructure and knowing if there are precautions that you need to take can help ease irrational fears. While media reports often amplify risks, the reality is that most travel destinations are safe.
Be Gentle with Yourself
When you’re struggling with this type of anxiety, travel can often become an emotional and physically draining experience. Skipping an activity or changing plans is okay if you feel overwhelmed, and paying attention to your needs and building in rest time is an act of self-compassion, not failure.
Tip: If crowds or noise trigger anxiety, consider travelling during off-peak times or choosing quieter destinations. Minor adjustments like this can make all the difference.
Final Thoughts
If this type of anxiety sounds familiar to you, please be assured that it is possible to overcome it and travel with confidence.
Trauma-related anxiety doesn’t have to hold you back from enjoying life on your terms and experiencing the freedom and excitement that travel can bring. The key lies in addressing the underlying trauma, reframing your mindset, and equipping yourself with practical tools to handle the journey.
Start small, celebrate your progress, and remember that every step you take toward facing your fears is a victory. With the right strategies and support, you can transform travel from a source of dread into an opportunity for growth and adventure.
