Summer vacation season is quickly approaching, and just under half of Americans are planning trips in the coming months. For many, this prospect brings excitement – however, for others it triggers a complex web of worries collectively known as travel anxiety.

If you find yourself counting down to your vacation with dread rather than excitement, you're not alone; in fact, research has shown that about 18% of US adults have travel anxiety. Behind this phenomenon are evidence-backed neurological underpinnings. A 2022 Cornell University study demonstrated increased amygdala activity—the brain's fear center—for people in the middle of travel planning. This anxiety can manifest as fear of flying, apprehension about unfamiliar surroundings, separation anxiety from home, or health concerns while traveling.

Vivian Chung Easton, a mental health clinician at Blueprint, a therapist enablement technology platform explains that, “while travel anxiety exists on a spectrum from slight uneasiness to debilitating fear that prevents travel altogether – there are ways to significantly reduce these feelings at every stage of your trip.” Let's explore how to build your own mental health toolkit for more peaceful travel experiences.

Pre-Trip: Plan with mental health in mind

Ensuring anxiety-free travel begins weeks before departure. Research shows that preparation should include intentional mental health provisions alongside booking accommodations and planning activities.

• Digital tools like meditation apps have proven remarkably effective. In fact, a study reported a 34% reduction in travel stress among users who complete pre-trip meditation sessions – some apps even offer guided visualizations of common travel scenarios.
• If you take medication for mental health conditions, consult your healthcare provider well before departure for guidance on time zone adjustments and prescription refills.
• Build flexibility into your itinerary. A striking 72% of travelers who create detailed but adaptable itineraries report lower anxiety levels than those with either no plans or highly rigid schedules. 
• Compile all your trip information so it’s ready to go. This includes any flights, hotels, reservations or activities booked all in one place to ensure you have all your information easily accessible. You can also think about and identify when your anxiety spikes: is it the drive? Being in line? Boarding the plane? Once you’ve pinpointed what’s causing you to feel anxious, you can plan around them and make sure those peaks are prepared for so you can manage them in the moment.

During Travel: Useful grounding exercises

The journey itself—whether by plane, train, or car—often represents peak anxiety for travelers. Fortunately there are several science-backed techniques that can help you stay grounded.

• For flight anxiety, controlled breathing exercises show remarkable effectiveness. The 4-7-8 technique (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8) activates the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting the fight-or-flight response that anxiety triggers. Practice this technique before your flight and implement it during takeoff or turbulence.
• Regardless of transportation, when anxiety spikes the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding technique can reduce acute anxiety by up to 47%, according to clinical studies by the This technique involves listing: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste.

Creating a sensory comfort kit can enhance this practice—pack a small bag with items that engage your senses in calming ways: perhaps hand lotion (smell), a small fidget toy (touch), favorite music (hearing), photos of loved ones (sight), and a piece of candy or gum (taste). Something interesting to note is that things with intense flavors (like a super sour candy) shocks your senses and reminds you to focus just on that instead of other things.

• Progressive muscle relaxation—tensing and releasing muscle groups sequentially—reduces physiological symptoms of travel anxiety by 53% according to recent studies. Try starting at the top and tense your face, then move down to your neck, and then all the way down to your feet. This helps bring awareness back to your body, and helps reengage. 

At Your Destination: maintaining mental equilibrium

Arriving at your destination doesn't necessarily mean anxiety disappears. Unfamiliar surroundings, different cultural norms, and the pressure to "have fun" can create new stress. However, there are a few ways to create a bit of stability that can help ease that anxiety. 

• Traveling doesn’t have to uproot every part of your daily schedule, some of your core non-negotiables can still be in place. Establish a modified version of your home mental health routine for crucial stability. If you normally start your day with journaling or taking a minute for yourself while having coffee, even five minutes of familiar ritual can anchor your day. If you’re traveling with anyone else, be sure to set clear expectations for what parts of your routine you’d prefer to keep up with. For example, if you know that taking 10 minutes for yourself in the morning to go for a walk is something that needs to be baked into your routine, make that a priority, and communicate that. 
• There might be pressure to maximize every minute of a trip, which often results in over-scheduling, exhaustion, and heightened anxiety. Build in decompression time after busy sightseeing days – try returning to your accommodation mid-afternoon to rest before evening activities.
• Align with any travel partners on must-dos and things you’d just like to do. If there’s not time to do everything, this ensures that everyone is on the same page as to what activities take priority, and what can be let go of. It’s important to revisit that list throughout your trip so that everyone is aligned on how to make the trip as enjoyable as possible.
• Perhaps most importantly, have contingency plans in place for unexpected changes. Develop basic "if-then" plans for common travel disruptions. The Cleveland Clinic found that travelers who develop basic "if-then" plans for common travel disruptions (delayed flights, lost items, minor health issues) experience 60% fewer panic responses when these situations arise. Simply knowing you have a backup plan allows your nervous system to relax.

Coming Home: the often overlooked phase

While most focus on travel anxiety is related to preparing for and experiencing trips, returning home and to daily responsibilities deserves equal attention. Post-travel depression is clinically recognized and affects approximately 21% of travelers, potentially lasting up to two weeks after returning from vacation. To help your brain readjust back to day-to-day life, try: 

• Gradual reintegration techniques can ease this transition. If it’s available to you, take one "buffer day" at home before returning to work. According to a Wall Street Journal report, individuals who take that extra experience 47% less re-entry anxiety than those who immediately jump back into  full responsibilities.
• Use this buffer time to unpack (both literally and emotionally), catch up on basic tasks, and process your experiences through journaling or sharing stories with loved ones. 

Finding Growth Through Discomfort

What makes travel uniquely valuable is its paradoxical nature—it's both anxiety-provoking and anxiety-reducing. It stretches our comfort zones in ways daily life rarely does. By navigating unfamiliar situations successfully, we build confidence that transfers to other areas of life.

Building your personalized travel mental health toolkit takes time and experimentation. Not every technique will work for every person, and different trips may require different approaches. The goal isn't to eliminate all travel-related anxiety—some alertness in new environments is adaptive and healthy—but rather to prevent anxiety from overwhelming the joy of discovery.

As you prepare for summer travels, remember that mental preparation deserves space on your packing list. Even acknowledging travel anxiety at each stage of your journey can transform potentially stressful experiences into meaningful adventures that expand your world. Safe travels!