Even the most enjoyable activities can have their pitfalls and travel is one that prominently comes to mind. It is exciting to get away from the routine, and see things you have never seen before and do things you have never done before. But, this particular activity has loads of potential stressors lurking at every turn; while we may not always be able to avoid these hiccups, there are things we can do to ease our negative reaction and take things in stride. Here are three tips that have worked well for me and I hope they can do the same for you.
Going With the Flow and Accepting the Moment
When it comes to travel, there is a good chance you will encounter numerous instances of things not going the way you want or something not meeting your expectations. Delayed flights, hotels not being as nice as you thought, getting ripped off, being hopelessly lost, disappointed in your choice of destination…the possibilities are endless. How you handle these situations can make or break your trip.
A major source of stress in our lives is our resistance and inability to accept what is happening in the moment. Naturally, we have preferences, and in a given situation, we want things to unfold in a certain manner. You cannot always get what you want, and while being upset is natural, a greater acceptance for whatever is happening in the moment, no matter how much we may dislike it, can do wonders for reducing stress. The next time you find yourself in a travel situation that is not in line with your preference, try a bit harder to just accept it…this does not mean you have to like it, but it can ease some of the burden.
Keep Perspective
As someone who travels quite a bit, I cannot count the number of times that something has happened and I got upset about it…both big and little issues. While I am far from handling these situations with total grace, one thing that has helped me handle travel hiccups more successfully is keeping perspective. It is annoying to be overcharged for things as a tourist, but if that means that I paid four dollars for a taxi ride that should have cost two, I learn to let it go pretty quickly as it did not cause me a true financial hardship. If your biggest problem of the day is getting stuck on the local bus instead of the more comfortable VIP bus, count yourself lucky—it is better than being stuck at the office.
Be Grateful for the Opportunity
This is somewhat related to the second tip. If you have the means to even be on vacation in the first place, focus on being grateful for the opportunity; there are people all over the world who may never even leave the town they were born in. Sure, lots of things happen while traveling that can be stressful and annoying, but the fact that you are in a position to be experiencing them is something to be thankful for. Most of your trip is likely going to be awesome and you will have the time of your life and with the sweet always comes the sour.
Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who is passionate about travel and enjoys sharing tips and insights from her own journeys; she highly recommends using Expedia when planning your trip.
