Although travel has several positive aspects and benefits, it can also sometimes be stressful. Common stressful travel experiences are related to trip planning, difficulty handling unexpected events, financial strain or having unrealistic expectations. Whether you are travelling for business, vacation, or to see loved ones, there are simple steps you can do to reduce the travel stress.
1. Be Organised
Make a checklist with all the things you need to do before your travel. Just writing things to do and getting them done can free you from anxiety. It also gives you a structure, a plan that you can stick to. Don’t wait last minute to plan your trip and start the planning process as early as you can so you have more time. You can invest in a good travel guide which will give you all the information about sights, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and activities.
Here a list of travel guides that can help you plan your trip:
- Things to Do in Sydney for Free for budget travellers
- Melbourne & Victoria Lonely Planet
- DK Eyewitness Travel Guides which will give you everything you need to plan the trip of a lifetime whether you dream of climbing the Sydney harbour bridge, riding the perfect wave at Bondi Beach, watching the sunset over Ayers Rock or strolling the cosmopolitan streets of Melbourne.
Did you know that The Great Southern Hotel developed a free mobile application which allows you to:
– Save more by accessing best available rates on our GSH mobile app
– Easily book online in just a few steps
– Browse all our properties
– Discover in detail the services offered at each of our properties
– Contact a hotel in one click by email or telephone
– Get some inspiration for your next stay through the photo galleries of our properties
– Locate the hotel on a map and plan out your itinerary
2. Take a breath
Take a holiday for your mind and escape yourself with mindfulness meditation. Take only 1 minute everyday for catching yourself in a mindless state and returning your attention to a mindful state with this 60-second meditation video: 60 Second Meditation for a Quiet Mind. It offers a respite from your normal everyday worries, stress and over thinking.
If you are not a fan of the word Meditation, even turning your attention to two or three breath when you start to feel stressed can help you recenter.
3. Slow down your Travel
There are always a million things to do when you are visiting a new place and if you try to do them all, it can result in a stressful experience. Instead of having too many activities each day, select a few things, maybe two or three you are the most excited about. If you limit the number of things you commit to will reduce your stress and avoid arguments with travel partners.
4. Stay Active
Staying active will give you energy, reduce stress and tension and, of course, help mitigate some of the extra calories you may be eating. Plan ahead and look up information about the hotel you are staying at and search for walking, running or park trails nearby. Another way to stay active is to lace up your best walking shoes and explore a new city on foot. Walking when you travel will give you more time to soak in the atmosphere of a place, immerse yourself in its culture, and connect with the people who live there.
We have selected four FREE mobile applications that will help you explore cities on foot:
- Melbourne Map and Walks by GPSmyCity.com, Inc. This application offers several self-guided walking tours to see the best of the Melbourne, and it comes with detailed tour route maps and powerful navigation features to guide you from one sight to the next. This app is compatible with all your devices.
- Sydney Culture Walks by the City of Sydney. Culture Walks is the ideal companion for discovering Sydney on foot – discover hidden laneways and new neighbourhoods while learning about Sydney’s history and the stories behind the city’s most loved public artworks. This app is compatible with all your devices.
- Brisbane City Directory by World City Directory INC. A 100% offline map & guide which allows you to discover new places and browse full featured offline map on your device. You can use this map without data roaming, WIFI connection and hidden costs. This app is compatible with all your devices.
- EyeJack by EyeJack. It allows you to experience Activated ArtWalk, an activated art trail experience for people walking to and from the city to Optus Stadium. This app is compatible with all your devices.
