I have spent my entire life being ok with airports. They never made me nervous, and I always looked forward to the process of checking in. I loved flying, and found the whole experience fun and exhilarating (if not a little tiring).
I am no stranger to anxiety. But I was lucky, in that airports never seemed to trigger it in me.
All that changed a month ago when I had a mini panic attack at an airport in Vietnam.
I had to catch an early morning flight to Hanoi; and the whole episode started with my Grab (this corner of the world's version of Uber) running slightly late. By the time I stepped through the airport doors; I was already flustered and frazzled. It completely overwhelmed me. It was unlike any other airport I have ever visited. It was frantically chaotic and busy; and there was no clear queuing system. All of the signage was in Vietnamese, and I had no idea where to go or what to do. I was stressed from being pushed in front of continuously; and convinced that I was going to miss my flight.
It was a recipe for anxiety.
I felt teary, confused and nervous enough being in a foreign airport; let alone being stuck in amongst such chaos. I ended up having a mini meltdown.
This was my first experience with airport anxiety, and I finally understood what others were talking about when they said that airports made them nervous. The whole episode had me feeling stressed just THINKING about the future flights I had to take.
However; I have no choice BUT to travel; so I needed to come up with some solutions to ease my airport anxiety and make the whole process smoother. I experimented with a few different methods, and have included them in a list of anxiety-busters below. Some of these are super basic tips; yet will make all the difference to your flight experience.
Tips to Help Ease Airport Anxiety:
1. Check and Double Check Your Flight Details Before You Fly
There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing that missing a flight; or turning up way too early. Yup; I actually did this. I was so nervous after my first experience with airport anxiety; that I had total brain fog and turned up A WHOLE DAY EARLY for my next flight. Needless to say, it was an expensive and unnecessary mistake. Trust me - check and double check your flight details against a calendar. It can get extremely confusing when you’re travelling through different time zones; so meticulously make sure you have the correct details. It will put your mind at ease; and give you one less thing to worry about.
2. Pack Your Hand Luggage Strategically
Pack your hand luggage so that you have your passport, plane tickets and money in easy reach. You’re going to be getting your passport and tickets out multiple times; so make the process easy on yourself by making them easy to grab. In the same token; have your electrical devices like your laptop in an easy to reach place. You usually have to get these out and pop them in their own separate tray several times as you pass through airport security, so put them somewhere that’s easy for you to fetch and put away. Also have the details of the address of you will be staying once you land at hand; as you will need this when you are filling in your arrival card. You want to avoid having to frantically rummage through your bag to find it.
3. Pack Your Toiletries According to Security Rules
The general security check rule at airports is that you must keep any liquids smaller than 100ml in your hand luggage in a clear plastic bag. Anything bigger than that must go in your suitcase. I once made the mistake of trying to take a large bottle of barely-used expensive moisturiser in my hand luggage; and had to endure the pain of watching them throw it in the bin; as there was no time for me to arrange anything else. Needless to say; I pretty much had a meltdown at the airport. Avoid this by pre-packing everything carefully. You can buy cheap airport-approved toiletry sets from most dollar stores; so save yourself the heartache and anxiety by buying one and transferring all your potions into it.
4. Make Sure All Your Devices Are Pre-Charged
Although they have charging docks and sockets at airports; it still helps to minimise anxiety by having all of your devices topped up and ready to go before you leave. There’s nothing worse than catching a ride to the airport with your phone on 5% battery - knowing that it contains all your flight information. Save yourself the stress by topping up all of the devices that you will be using at the airport before you get there. Phones, laptops, headphones, kindles, iPads - make sure they are all at max top up so you have nothing to freak out about! You can always recharge them as you use them at the airport. This will just give you extra peace-of-mind.
5. Arrange Your Ride to the Airport
in Advance
There’s nothing worse than arriving at the airport in an absolute frazzled mess; because your taxi arrived late and you’ve been stuck in traffic. Arrange in advance for a ride to pick you up, or even better; stay in an airport hotel/pod to ensure you get there early. I hired a pod a few hours before one of my flights; and it made an incredible difference to my wellbeing. I simply lay in the air conditioned pod, relaxing myself under the calming blue lighting and listening to music on my headphones. It was a tranquil little oasis where I could hibernate and prepare myself mentally for the flight. I arrived at the airport refreshed and in a good frame of mind.
6. Arrive to the Airport Nice and Early
Whenever you are at an airport; it’s only natural to worry that you are going to miss your flight. Take this fear away by arriving early. Most airlines recommend that you get to the airport two or three hours in advance. However; on my last couple of trips I have arrived an hour earlier than this. You just can’t predict how hectic the lines and waiting times will be at the airport; so it helped enormously to totally eradicate that source of anxiety by arriving super early. It helped me mentally; as I didn’t have to rush and I felt at peace; secure in the knowledge that I had plenty of time to go through the flight process.
7. Use Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Once you have finished checking-in and are in a position to simply wait for your flight; focus on chilling out. Breathe deeply and slowly; and try to relax your muscles; as they will probably be tense from stress. On my last few flights I have put an alarm on my phone to alert me when I need to move to my departure gate; and then just popped on my noise-cancelling headphones and blissed out to music. It worked a charm, as the sounds of the noisy crowds and incessant flight announcements were drowned out. It was like I was in my own little bubble; and I didn’t have to stress about missing my flight; as my alarm had me covered.
8. Dress In Comfortable Airport-Friendly Clothing
First of all, the temperature can change dramatically between the airport and the plane; so wear light layers to make sure you will be warm/cool enough. Secondly; you’re going to be going through a few stages of airport security - including metal detectors and body scanners - so make sure you’re dressed appropriately. Consider wearing slip-on shoes; as some places require you take your shoes off; and having take off complicated, lace up shoes while you hold up the queue will send your blood pressure soaring. Also; try not to stress about the security process (e.g. even if you have to get patted down) as they are just doing their job. Breathe and stay calm.
9. Hire an Airport Pod Once You Arrive if it is Late at Night
Have a place ready to go to once you arrive at your destination. When I was suffering my worst airport anxiety I made sure to book a pod at the airport, so that as soon as I arrived I had a instant little oasis to retreat to. It was a tiny little pod with just a bed, tv, air conditioning, snacks, water and power sockets. But it made an enormous impact on my wellbeing. Instead of having to organise a ride and rush to a hotel after going through the departure process; I could simply relax. I spent the night in my pod, and woke up replenished and ready to hit the ground running. It was fabulous!
10. Keep Yourself Distracted
Listen to your favourite music, or an interesting podcast. Buy a puzzle book and test your mind. Play a game on your phone. Read a book. Get lost in an article/blog online. Walk around the airport - even if it’s just laps up and down the corridors. Do anything to make sure your brain is entertained. This will keep you from becoming sick with nerves. Don’t let yourself get bored; as that just leaves your mind free to roam and imagine the worst; which is when anxiety can kick in and hijack you. When you get lost in your own little bubble of entertainment; it really helps with staying grounded and forgetting that you are feeling nervous.
11. Don’t Catastrophise
There are so many things to freak out about when you are traveling. What if the plane crashes? Have they done a thorough check of the engines before takeoff? Who am going to be sitting next to? Will I have to squeeze past them to use the bathroom? Will my ride be ready once I arrive? Will my luggage get lost? Will there be a terror attack? Let those worries slip away and try not to entertain them. Try to get your mindset into the right place; instead of focusing on every negative outcome that could ever happen. You can, and will handle this journey. Instead of catastrophising, focus on the facts. Planes are the safest way to travel. Security checks these days are extremely thorough; so the chance of any trouble happening is extremely low. Stay calm, and focus on all the fun you are going to have once you arrive at your destination!
Please feel free to share these airport anxiety tips!
I hope these tips to beating airport anxiety help you or someone that you love, as much as they’ve helped me. I'm happy to report that since incorporating all of the above, I don't dread going to the airport anymore, and am back to my usual flight-loving self!
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