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If there is anything I’m an expert at, it’s dealing with anxiety. Years of traveling to new destinations both solo and accompanied have granted me insights and learning experiences that only a true veteran traveler would have. Yes, many of these lessons learned have come from making mistakes along the way, and I’m happy to share my experiences so you can learn from my mistakes!

There’s nothing worse than shelling out for a luxury vacation and being inundated with the persistent anxiety of: “did I pack everything I need?” or “what happens if my flight gets delayed?” and the ever-relevant “what happens if someone in my family gets sick?” Trust me, I’ve been there and done ALL of that. Despite my passion for travel and my career of planning and sharing travel experiences with the world, I have pretty bad flight anxiety! In my 30’s, I’ve finally figured out how to manage it in a productive way, and it’s been a life-changer for me.

Here are 6 tips to overcome travel anxiety:

1. Write down everything

Travel anxiety usually comes about when there are unknowns, and to combat that it helps to write down your plans. From the brainstorming stage all the way to the specific confirmation details, jot everything down. This can be in your Notes app or on a napkin!

I once planned a two-week long trip to Asia by printing out a world map and circling the places I wanted to go. I used that map as the base for my itinerary and made notes from there – it was super handy! As a starting point, I put together a travel planning sheet that you can get for free by signing up for my email list.

2. Book in advance

I cannot stress this enough! If you know that you typically like to go to the Caribbean for spring break every year, or fly home to visit your parents in Los Angeles every Christmas, don’t leave it for the last minute. I recommend starting to plan your trip at least 6 months in advance, possibly more if your trip will involve a lot of moving parts. The earlier you book your trip, the more time you’ll have to adequately prepare and reduce your anxiety.

For flights, it’s a bit of a toss up because the fares can change at any time. Generally, I find the best fares 3 months before a trip, but I’ve also had luck finding great fares 2 weeks before a trip too. I recommend looking in advance for the airlines, routes, and timing that are offered over your travel dates and make Google Flight reminders when the fares change.

3. Bring your travel essentials kit

Do you ever run around your house 15 minutes before you’re supposed to leave for the airport looking for things you meant to pack? I’ve done this many times, and I always seem to forget to bring a hairbrush. After years of traveling, I now have a travel essentials kit that I keep in my carry-on at all times even when at home. Think of it as an emergency go-bag, but it’s for travel. Here is everything I have in my kit:

• Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones – I bring these with me everywhere. They’re key to helping me with my flying anxiety. As soon as the plane departs from the gate, I pop these guys on and boot up my meditation app, Oak, and play tibetan om for the duration of the flight and relax. The noise cancelling function is so good on these headphones, I never travel without them.

• Soft Travel Laundry Bag with Zipper and Drawstring – Taking the hotel’s laundry bags is no longer as socially acceptable as it once was. These handy laundry bags are so small and take up little space but transform into a full sized bag. I have one for myself and one for my partner.

• Worldwide All in One Universal Travel Adaptor Wall – This treasure never leaves my bag, and it’s saved me many times. The travel adaptor will plug into any type of outlet worldwide. Keep in mind it does not convert voltage, so you’ll want to check the standard voltage of the country you’re visiting. Pair this with a USB to Lightning cable and you can charge your phone with your other items.

• TSA Approved Silicone Travel Bottles Toiletries Kit – I have a similar version to this, and it’s a huge time saver. Do you ever feel that hotel shampoos and conditioners leave your hair dry? With this kit, I pipe in my own shampoo and conditioner from home so my hair quality remains the same. I also fill the containers with heat-proof cream, face wash, and moisturizer so my skin routine remains the same. To save more time, I highly recommend ordering a pre-prepared TSA approved toiletries kit that comes stocked with sample sized goodies already.

• Drybar Lil’ Lemon Drop Mini Detangling Brush – Remember I said I always forget to bring a hairbrush? I don’t anymore because I always keep a traveling brush in my travel kit. I have a Wet travel brush because that’s all CVS had, but go for quality and get the DryBar version. This will save you from having to comb your hair with your fingers and having frizzy hair in your photos. Learn from my mistakes!

• Anker 523 Power Bank Portable Charger – I can’t tell you how many times having a power bank handy has saved me. There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing than being in a foreign country using your phone for directions and there’s only 5% battery left. The power bank takes about 15 hours to charge fully, but once it’s full it can charge multiple devices. The compact size is great for sticking in a purse or pocket.

4. Lean on your travel expert

If you’re not using a travel advisor to plan your trip, you should! Not only do we take the stress out of planning and booking travel for you, but we are also well-versed in destination knowledge, current events, and best travel practices. It helps to have your travel agent on speed dial or text in case you have a quick question that’s causing you anxiety. Most of the time, it can be easily answered!

5. Have a back-up plan

There’s nothing worse than spending months planning and looking forward to a boat charter in Greece only for it to get cancelled due to weather. What are you going to do with your day instead? It always helps to build in a back-up plan in the event something doesn’t work out.

Now, this doesn’t mean planning an entire back-up itinerary, but simply making a list of activities that interest you in the destination. Or, text your travel agent and they’ll send you alternative suggestions based on your interests.

6. Buy travel insurance

If you have the additional budget, I highly recommend purchasing travel insurance. Travel insurance provides the ultimate peace of mind that should anything go wrong you can get your money back. No dealing with non-refundable hotel policies or airline credits valid for a year, but a refund back to your bank account.

Some travel credit cards have built in travel insurance up to a certain amount which can be sufficient for small trips. If you’re splurging for a trip or traveling with a group or with family, you’ll want a thorough travel insurance policy. This is something travel agents can quote and book for you as well!

At every travel company I’ve worked at, I’ve always suggested and used InsureMyTrip to compare insurance plans. Many travel insurance websites ask for the same tedious information and don’t make clear what the premium covers. Before I used this website, I would have at least 7 tabs open with different insurance company websites plugging in the same info. InsureMyTrip does all of that work for you – just put in your travel information one time and compare the various plans. It’s a huge time saver!

Final Thoughts

The best tool for beating anxiety is preparedness, and by practicing these 6 steps every time you travel you won’t have to worry about your excitement being dampened due to stress and anxiety. Eventually, these steps will become second nature and travel anxiety will be a thing of the past. I do these steps every single time I travel, and encourage my clients to do the same.

Do you have any steps you take to reduce travel anxiety? Leave it in the comments below!