Holiday Travel Anxiety: 5 Ways to Beat the Stress

With summer in full swing, many people will be packing and getting ready to jet off on their summer holiday. However, as much as everyone enjoys a holiday, it can be a stressful process in getting there, and the part that travellers dread most.

Mike Rollins, a stress expert at hemp wellness brand Olofly, has provided a step-by-step travel guide to help those who get overwhelmed by the travelling process. 

Prep before you travel 

If you’re a nervous flyer, the best way to put your mind at ease is to consider the journey as the start of the holiday itself. Create some small travel traditions to get you excited, but also stay distracted and not overthink the situation. Make yourself a holiday playlist or put on your favourite tunes to keep your mind at ease, take a new book you’ve been wanting to read, or even download your favourite show or movie before the flight to create a sense of familiarity in a different environment.  

Having some home comforts or parts of your normal day-to-day routine can help shift your attention away from the anxiety of flying and towards the excitement of your destination. 

Another essential prep is checking all the essential documents in advance. Make sure your passport is not due to expire within six months of your travel dates, that you have the correct and valid travel insurance, your bags are not overweight, and triple-check your flight times to ensure you are at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight to allow for potential delays you could encounter.

Arriving at the airport 

The airport can often be the most stressful part of the travel experience, especially when it comes to security and timing. To reduce the stress of getting your bag pulled for a search or setting off the metal detectors, ensure all products, appliances or clothing items such as belts and jackets, are removed before entering the security queue so you can pop your items straight into the trays and go through.  

It’s important to note that many airports have different policies regarding what needs to be removed and what can stay in your bags. Many airports in recent years have allowed you to keep electrical appliances and liquids in your bag and put it through the scanners as it is. Make sure to read up on the requirements of the specific airport you are departing from in advance, as this will help reduce stress on the day. 

The waiting around once through security is also a major trigger for anxiety. Constantly checking the screens to see if your gate is open, has changed, is delayed, etc., can be nerve-racking, and therefore, it’s important to remain vigilant about potential changes and delays, but also find a way to distract yourself. Treat yourself to a coffee or meal, browse the bookshops, walk around the terminal, or sit by the windows and watch aircraft take off and land. Some people find it reassuring to observe the normal rhythm of airport operations, while others enjoy people-watching or making a list of everything they are looking forward to once they arrive. By focusing on the holiday ahead, the airport becomes part of the experience rather than simply a place to wait. 

During the flight 

Creating a sense of comfort and routine on board can make flying feel less overwhelming. Staying occupied is the main way to keep your mind busy and focus less on the fact that you are 30,000 feet in the air.  

During the flight, travellers can use the time as a rare opportunity to disconnect from everyday life and embrace the slower pace of being in the air. Whether it’s cloud spotting from the window, watching a favourite film, journaling, or simply appreciating a few hours free from work and responsibilities, the flight can become a chance to unwind rather than something to fear.  

Nervous flyers may also find comfort in reminding themselves that turbulence and unfamiliar noises are a routine part of flying, helping to reframe the experience as a normal and safe part of the journey. 

Managing flying anxiety 

It can also be helpful to remember that many sensations experienced during a flight are completely normal.  

Turbulence, although uncomfortable, is not dangerous, and some people find it useful to think of it as similar to driving over bumps in the road. 

The cabin crew are a key source of reassurance to travellers when struggling with flight anxiety. If they aren’t worried, you shouldn’t be either, as they encounter such issues daily and know what to do in the rare case of an emergency.  

If you are particularly anxious, especially if you are solo travelling, it may be worth telling a member of the crew that you are a nervous flyer so they can provide additional support and reassurance throughout the journey. 

Making the journey part of the holiday 

Ultimately, you are going on holiday to relax and enjoy yourself, so getting over the obstacle of the process of getting there is key to relaxation. If you consider the journey as part of the holiday, it can create a feeling of excitement as opposed to stress. 

This could include setting a simple “travel theme” for the day. You could focus on refining your itinerary for the holiday, including activities, restaurants or day trips you plan on doing when you are there. This should help divert your attention away from the travelling process and heighten all the things to look forward to once you arrive. 

By seeing the journey as a transition into holiday mode rather than time to get through, even the in-between moments can feel calmer, more intentional, and part of the overall experience. 

Mike Rollins, stress expert and COO at Olofly, further commented: “Travelling is often assumed to be the most stressful part of a holiday, but what actually drives that anxiety is usually anticipation rather than the journey itself. People tend to build up worst-case scenarios in their minds long before they arrive at the airport, which can make the experience feel far more overwhelming than it is. Once the process begins, most of it follows familiar, predictable steps that are easier to manage than expected.

“Once at the airport and on the plane, the key shift is less about ‘coping’ and more about occupying the mind in a way that prevents anxiety from taking hold. Staying engaged with distractions, following normal travel procedures, and recognising that things like security checks and turbulence are routine can all help ground the experience and keep nerves in check.

“In many cases, the biggest difference comes from mindset. When travellers stop viewing the journey as something to endure and instead see it as a gradual transition into holiday mode, the whole experience becomes noticeably lighter. The focus shifts away from what might go wrong and towards what’s waiting at the destination, which is often where excitement naturally takes over.”