Traveling with More Ease
Have you been traveling more since the pandemic and finding it more stressful than usual?
If so, you are not alone. So many of my clients and I have been getting back on planes, trains, and automobiles and finding it the ultimate act of surrender.
Plane delays, cancellations, lost bags, grumpy passengers, and sometimes flight crews can lead to a breeding ground of negative emotions - irritability, anger, and anxiety, to name a few. Frustration anyone?
If you are a control freak like me, this can be dysregulating and downright stressful, so I am offering some helpful tools while you hit the terminal.
First and foremost, I recommend having an empowering mindset. You can practice thoughts like “I always get to decide how to think, feel, and act in any situation,”“Eventually I will get to my destination or problem-solve a different plan,” or “Even though I don’t like this situation I accept it and will move on” or “I can handle any travel issue that comes my way.”
Accepting something, someone, or a situation does not mean that you like it or are even okay with it happening. Still, it indicates that you acknowledge what it is and drop into radical acceptance.
I encourage my clients to allow the initial emotions that arise and let them process through without acting out in a way that doesn’t serve them or the people around them and, if need be, drop into some of the thoughts seen above to work through any resistance that comes your way. (If you want more information, I have a few blogs on allowing emotions)
In these situations, so many things are out of our control, and the more we can surrender, accept, and be flexible, the less resistance and negative emotion we will experience. Yelling, stomping around, and complaining endlessly doesn’t make the plane take off any faster, trust me, I have tried.
Outside of having a more accepting mindset, it doesn’t hurt to come prepared with fun reading material, podcasts (don’t forget to upload them), work that maybe you have been putting off, etc.
If you travel regularly and struggle with any anxiety, panic, or extreme frustration that you would like some support on, don’t hesitate to reach out to work through it some more.
Have a wonderful rest of your week, everyone.
Warmly,
-Melanie
