Travel
Safety for me is bred by routine and so travel to new places breeds uncertainty. Due to that, travel is still one of the things that I can still get genuinely anxious about. The thought of the travelling I’d be doing makes me think about all the “what ifs” and “buts.” As with any situation it’s easy to run away with things that you build up in your mind and make mountains out of mole hills. As I know it’s the uncertainty that makes me nervous there are things I’ll do to help alleviate some of my concerns.
If I’m driving to where ever it is that I’m going the first thing I’ll do (as most people would) is plan the route. I’m not great at reading maps so I put my trust in route finders on the internet and my sat nav. As a failsafe I’ll print off the directions from the route finder just in case my sat nav decides it doesn’t want to play nice. If I’m covering a good distance I like to make sure I have enough money for extra fuel and in the absolute worst case enough money in my bank account for a hotel. I’m aware that thinking about that kind of thing is planning to excess but it helps me feel comfortable and stops my mind wandering. Most importantly though it allows me to enjoy whatever I’ve travelled to do. Oh, just as a side note if you’ve had as many car troubles as I have over the years then doing water and oil checks before a long journey would be advisable too :-) If I’m not driving it’s useful for me to have music on my MP3 player that will suit my mood. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere music it good for me to help control/maintain or even build a mood.
As with most worries it’s the thought of the unknown that is unsettling. Through my worrying nature I will often build a situation up in my mind that will then barrel roll until I’m just short of an epic disaster film scene. Okay…so I don’t quite go that far, but I do at times become my confidences worst enemy. The best way for me to relax is to think about why I’m travelling in the first place and to enjoy why I’m doing it. Also thinking about who’s there with me travelling to give me a confidence boost as they’re sharing the experience with me.