Your Passport To Beat Travel Blues

Travel is often considered as a “layover from life”—a break from routine, a passport stamp, a humble brag that you’re actually living. But many people get terrified at the thought of flying, or get weekend blues thinking of a weekend getaway. Some are stressed over packing a travel suitcase. Travel anxiety is real. After the recent IndiGo airline travel fiasco, even seasoned flyers are clutching armrests like emotional support devices… and maybe a neck pillow for moral support too!

Thousands of people across the world suffer from travel anxiety. In fact, celebrities like Karan Johar, Nick Jonas, Megan Fox, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, Nick Jonas, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connelly and Miley Cyrus have even spoken about it openly. Karan has stated in several interviews that he “experiences sleepless nights,” lands up early at the airport and keeps checking his phone for flight updates. Johar is terrified of flying and air turbulence. Hollywood hunk Chris Hemsworth has managed to reframe his travel anxiety through ‘self-talk’ and ‘positive thoughts.’

Welcome to the bumpy, sometimes “boarding-gate-to-heart-race” world of Travel Anxiety, a situational panic that kicks in the moment your brain hears the words “final call.”

Priya Parulekar, a Counsellor from Mumbai, says, “Travel Anxiety is the worry, fear or stress that someone feels when they have to travel by flight, car, train or even to a new place or location.” Priya explains how the mind gets into a wild spree of thoughts, which leads to a never-ending loop of imaginary situations.

In fact, celebrities like Karan Johar, Nick Jonas, Megan Fox, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, Nick Jonas, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connelly and Miley Cyrus have even spoken about it openly. Karan has stated in several interviews that he “experiences sleepless nights,” lands up early at the airport and keeps checking his phone for flight updates. Johar is terrified of flying and air turbulence. Hollywood hunk Chris Hemsworth has managed to reframe his travel anxiety through ‘self-talk’ and ‘positive thoughts.’ Welcome to the bumpy, sometimes “boarding-gate-to-heart-race” world of Travel Anxiety, a situational panic that kicks in the moment your brain hears the words “final call.”

Priya Parulekar, a Counsellor from Mumbai, says, “Travel Anxiety is the worry, fear or stress that someone feels when they have to travel by flight, car, train or even to a new place or location.” Priya explains how the mind gets into a wild spree of thoughts, which leads to a never-ending loop of imaginary situations. Priya shares that travel anxiety rarely appears out of nowhere; it often follows certain life patterns and personalities. She says she sees it most often in people who already live with a background hum of worry—those whose minds instinctively scan for what could go wrong and tend to magnify every small threat of uncertainty. Priya quips, “For them, travel doesn’t introduce anxiety so much as give it a new stage to perform on.”

“Travel anxiety can affect anyone, but I often see it more in people who tend to overthink or imagine worst-case scenarios,” explains Sarika Shukla, a Psychologist and Psycho-therapist. Many who experience waves of this could also be those stung by a bad experience in the past. She explains that it often begins with a triggering incident or a stressful phase in life, after which the mind starts associating travel with danger or discomfort, causing the fear to grow with every upcoming trip.

Sarika clarifies that while flights receive the most attention due to the intense feeling of being “trapped,” travel anxiety is not restricted or limited to flying. Sarika has worked with clients who feel anxious during long car rides, train or bus journeys, crowded stations, and even while packing. Sarika says, “It is less about the mode of travel and more about unfamiliarity and perceived lack of control.” Noting that the mind does not differentiate between traffic and turbulence, it only identifies times you feel unsafe. Travel anxiety symptoms differ from person to person. Addressing this, Arpita Jaisingh says, “Travel anxiety shows up in many forms and doesn’t look the same for everyone.” Physically, individuals may experience a churn of nausea, stomach upsets, vomiting, chest tightness, shortness of breath, headaches, excessive sweating, muscle tension, shakiness, dizziness or shivering. Appetite may swing to extremes—either increasing or disappearing altogether—and digestive issues such as diarrhoea are common.

There are some remedies for travel anxiety. One could start by first identifying certain travel triggers. Priya says, “It could be anything from closed spaces, feeling homesick, or even a medical condition.” Her advice is that it is wiser to prepare realistically. Not obsessively. Point being, a plan is helpful, but spiralling over every possible scenario is not! She also recommends practising a grounding routine ahead of time—simple stretching, meditation, or breathwork so as to let your body recognise calm as something familiar. She quips, “Don’t forget on the day of travel, do go a little easy on caffeine, sugar, and alcohol.” Anxiety already has enough energy; it doesn’t need a double espresso. Perhaps, travel anxiety doesn’t need a pep talk; all it needs is a plan.

• Practice routines like meditation or stretching before travel.

• Focus on deep breathing if anxiety kicks in, keep talking to yourself, and visualisation: imagine positive outcomes from the travel.

• Keep your senses busy if frightened: like chewing gum, listening to music, talking to a fellow passenger, watching screens or doing a puzzle.

• Long Term Remedies: Maintain a regular and active lifestyle, seek therapy if episodes of travel anxiety show up, try journaling after every trip, and maintain a good sleep cycle. (Courtesy: Priya Parulekar)

• Loss of Control

• Noise & Turbulence

• Unfamiliarity

• Public Announcements

• Bright Lights &

It's a personal observation, but when an individual happens to travel rarely, they are easily susceptible to being anxious.”

— Arpita Jaisingh,

Counselling Psychologist, Founder, Aspire Counselling and Coaching Centre

It is less about the mode of travel and more about unfamiliarity and perceived lack of control.”

— Sarika Shukla,

Psychologist & Psychotherapist