Whether you’re a traveller, an entrepreneur or just living your day-to-day life, stress can be a regular occurrence. However, for those of us who spend weeks or even months at a time in a foreign country, feeling a little stressed can turn into our natural state of being.
I’m no stranger to this feeling. Even with meditation, yoga and a morning jog, there have been times where the stress can seem overwhelming, particularly when I’m away and don’t have my normal support networks or creature comforts to help wind down.
Often, our main source of stress comes from fear. Fear of the unknown, failure, or even just being away from those we love for extended periods. However, as the famous saying goes, everything worth having is on the other side of fear. Being able to overcome this feeling can not only help you with your stress levels, but it can bring a whole world of benefits into your life. In the case of travelling, this is almost literally the case.
When you feel stressed, take a quick moment to ask yourself what exactly is stressing you out. Is it the distance from your friends and family? Is it a worry that something will happen to you (or to them) while you’re away? Or is it just a fear of the unknown. Digging deep and finding the root cause of your stress can help you to minimise or even eliminate it, particularly if you can take steps to address what’s making you feel uncomfortable or fearful. Try talking to someone, whether it’s the people you’re travelling with or your friends and family at home. Their feedback can be invaluable, and can have a major impact when it comes to addressing what’s upsetting you.
Travel is meant to be fun, rewarding and to expand your horizons, but it’s natural that you can encounter stress or anxiety while you’re away. The key isn’t avoiding the feelings altogether, but learning to highlight the root cause of them, and to manage them along the way.
