Travel anxiety is a pervasive issue for many, but it needn't be an insurmountable obstacle to exploration. As an academic and journalist with a background in travel and anxiety, I've delved into the myriad triggers of travel anxiety, from the obvious to the less obvious. In my new book, The Years of Travelling Anxiously, I explore the various factors that contribute to this complex emotion, and offer insights from thinkers who provide remedies for it. Here, I'll share five key tips to help you navigate travel anxiety and embrace the journey with a calmer, more confident mindset.
Prioritise Your Urban Wellbeing
The modern city can be a source of anxiety for many travellers. Psychologist Colin Ellard explains that urban environments can induce stress due to a lack of 'neighbourhood cohesion', exposure to toxins or pathogens, dense traffic, and poor urban planning. The French cultural theorist Paul Virilio adds to this, arguing that the turbo pace, information overload, and vulnerability to technological and environmental disasters of the modern metropolis can result in psychological dislocation. To combat this, Ellard suggests seeking out green spaces, smooth-edged architecture, good sight-lines along streets, and natural light. These elements can help create a sense of calm and connection in an otherwise chaotic environment.
Educate Yourself Against Communication Breakdowns
Many travellers feel the pressures of 'cross-cultural communication', where misunderstandings and social faux pas can occur. Sociologist Debbie Lisle highlights the importance of knowledge and awareness in mitigating these problems. By familiarising yourself with works like Edward Said's Orientalism, which critiques the west's disdainful and over-simplified portrayal of the non-western world, you can start to acknowledge and address your ethical and political responsibility to the other. This awareness can help you navigate cultural differences with more sensitivity and understanding.
Accept Anxiety as a Fact of Existence
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard argued that anxiety is a necessary condition for our freedom. He believed that if travel is too easy, with no obstacles or snags to contend with, we won't learn or gain meaning from it. In fact, stories across human cultures often devote more time and space to the challenges a hero must overcome than to the end of the narrative when the hero has overcome such challenges. As Tom Waits sang, 'The obsession's in the chasing and not the apprehending / The pursuit you see and never the arrest'. This perspective can help you embrace the journey as an opportunity for growth and self-discovery.
Address Your Eco-Anxiety
Flying contributes to a significant portion of global carbon emissions, and overtourism in tourist areas can lead to environmental degradation. The eco-anxiety that can stem from these conditions can be mitigated by climate activism and an awareness that humanity and nature are mutually dependent. As the radical ecologist Andreas Malm and philosopher Bruno Latour suggest, we must shift our attention to our shared terrestrial condition. In the travel context, this might compel us to visit sustainable tourist sites, minimise our carbon footprint, and reduce feelings of guilt and hypocrisy.
Remember Ignorance is Not Bliss
Playwright Alan Bennett contends that we feel reassured when we read a work of literature that articulates a thought, feeling, or way of looking at things that we had thought special and particular to us. By familiarising ourselves with the great minds who have grappled with the problem of anxiety, we can gain a new perspective and a sense of connection to the human experience. Before you set off, I recommend adding some of these books to your reading list: Søren Kierkegaard's The Concept of Anxiety (1844), Paul Virilio's Overexposed City (1984), Alain de Botton's The Art of Travel (2002), Debbie Lisle's The Global Politics of Contemporary Travel Writing (2009), and Bruno Latour's How to Inhabit the Earth (2022).
In conclusion, travel anxiety is a complex and multifaceted issue, but by prioritising our urban wellbeing, educating ourselves against communication breakdowns, accepting anxiety as a fact of existence, addressing our eco-anxiety, and remembering that ignorance is not bliss, we can navigate it with a calmer, more confident mindset. These tips, inspired by the insights of thinkers like Ellard, Virilio, Kierkegaard, Lisle, Malm, and Latour, can help us embrace the journey and discover the beauty and wonder of the world with a renewed sense of purpose and connection.
