How to manage social anxiety while on vacation
There are many things that may prevent you from going on vacation as often as possible, but one that shouldn’t keep you from enjoying travel is social anxiety. Social anxiety occurs when a person becomes anxious at the thought of having to take part in things that are deemed social or has difficulties in certain social settings. You can read more about social anxiety here, and learn additional information about some of the treatment options available concerning it.
What You can do
Social anxiety does not have to ruin a trip you want to take. There are things you can do to help prevent or manage some of your social anxiety. Here are a few tips to try.
Talk to your therapist
If you are already in therapy, you can feel free to talk to your therapist about tips on traveling with social anxiety. There is a chance that they will be able to offer you advice on what you should do and what you shouldn’t do, to help you feel better when you are out of town and wish to enjoy yourself. If you are being treated for social anxiety, this is an even better idea.
sunset on the beach in India
Plan well
Another aspect to consider is the planning of your vacation. Do all of the planning yourself, so you will know all the ins and outs of the schedule and itinerary. This may allow you to feel more comfortable, since you are able to control some of the details. Moreover, you can be sure that you aren’t signed up for activities that will make you more anxious and focus instead on things you want to do or enjoy doing.
Invite someone you trust
It is up to you whether you want to travel alone or with someone. If you choose to invite someone to go with you or you want to bring a mate, be sure that you trust them. In other words, only go on vacation with someone that you would be able to lean on if you weren’t feeling your best or you became anxious and needed assistance getting help or getting out of a situation. If you go on vacation with a person that you don’t trust, it may be more difficult for you to be able to relax around them and appreciate your holiday.
Change plans when necessary
Even the best plans sometimes go awry, so do everything you can to ensure that plans can be changed, or alterations are able to be made at times. For example, if you wanted to go on an outing but you have a bad feeling about it, make sure that it is something you can cancel ahead of time, or will be able to get a refund for if you decide you don’t want to do it. You shouldn’t feel pressured to take part in an activity or go to a place if this makes you uncomfortable.
Focus on the fun things
A great thing about being on vacation is that you don’t have to focus on your day-to-day troubles. This allows you to live in the moment and enjoy every second. Do your best to take advantage of this, and you might find that you don’t have time to be anxious. Take a stroll on the beach or drink that glass of wine you are eyeing, especially if you don’t know when you will get another opportunity to do so. Taking a vacation is also about making memories, so be sure to see something unique or grab a few souvenirs to remind you of your trip.
resting by the swimming pool
Get some rest
When you are planning your getaway, you also need to factor in enough time to get some sleep. This can help you get the most out of your trip, and you might be able to enjoy the things on your list that mean the most to you. Moreover, when you schedule proper sleep, you can worry less about things like jetlag, not feeling your best while you’re away, and you won’t stress your immune system.
Conclusion
Keep these things in mind when you are thinking about taking a vacation. It is quite possible to have a fun getaway even if you have social anxiety; it just may take a bit of extra planning.
TIP: Check also my article about 5 ways to keep healthy while traveling here :)
