Stay calm, cool and collected when traveling for a more enjoyable trip 

Whether you’re traveling alone or with others, staying calm, cool and collected makes your trip so much more enjoyable.  The whole idea of a vacation is to have a good time as you experience something different.  It may be lounging on the beach, exploring a new city, learning the history of a region, or visiting family/friends.  Whatever the reason for the journey, you are supposed to enjoy yourself; not be worried and stressed.

Many of us forget that our actions and reactions have an impact on those around us.  People get cues from us, and this influences how they treat us, react to us, and take note, it impacts what they tell us.  This is all so important when we travel, as we do depend on others, on strangers, for so many things when we are away from home.

5 reasons why we NEED to stay calm cool and collected when traveling over 60

Think back to problems you’ve had when traveling and determine if the root of the problem was something someone told you.  Did you expect a situation to go one way, and it went the other way?  Are you angry at someone for telling the wrong information, selling you the wrong ticket, or booking the wrong accommodation.

Here are 5 reasons why you need to stay calm, cool and collected when travelling.

1 – You will be trustworthy when you are calm.  People will then be more inclined to trust you if they see you are calm.

2 – You will behave appropriately.  This means that others can depend on you to act consistently, not act erratically, and not yell at others.  This means they won’t avoid you.

3 – People won’t be nervous around you.  They will know that you won’t cause them problems so they will be more open to interacting with you.

4 – People will want to help you.  This is because you are not offensive nor a threat to them.

5 – Your trip will be so much more enjoyable.  Less will go wrong and more will go right.

Things can, and do, go wrong when we are traveling.  While it’s almost impossible to mitigate this completely, we can behave in ways that definitely help resolve, and often avoid, the things that can go ‘sideways’ and wreck our trip.

5 ways on HOW to stay calm, cool and collected when traveling over 60

Now that you know why it’s important to be calm, cool and collected while traveling, you need to know how to do this.  Here are 5 ways to stay calm cool and collected while traveling.

1 – Breathe:  It sounds odd, we all breath naturally. However, in times of stress we tend to hold our breath or start breathing irregularly.  Steady even breathing keeps us be calm and relaxed.  When you start to feel you are breathing differently, you can use mindfulness, to focus on the here and now, which helps to regulate our irregular breaths.  When you start to feel anxious, intentionally concentrate on your breath.  Slowly inhale feeling your lungs expand, and then feel them contract on your outbreath.  Keep doing this and after a few breaths and you’ll feel the tension begin to leave your body.

2 – Smile– A smile relaxes those around us and has a calming effect on our bodies.  A big smile tells those around us that there is nothing to be concerned about, which means they won’t feel concerned or worried either.  This all helps us overcome worries or fears.

3 – Ask– Keep your questions simple and straightforward.  You can also ask for people’s opinion, suggestions, and ideas. This will keep a conversation going and allow you to focus on what they are saying and not on your worries or challenges.

4 – Listen– This is not an easy task, especially when things are not as we want them to be. But let others speak.  You don’t have to be the centre of attention, and you do need to find out about whatever is going on that is challenging your trip. They may even give you important information you didn’t realize you needed to know. Listening is such an important skill that helps to calm our impatience.

5 – Thank people for doing simple things.  Focusing on others, and not on yourself, will show you that there are people around you that will help.  Thanking them will encourage them to continue to help you, which will give you the confidence that you will be able to  handle any challenges you encounter.

I do hope that your next travel adventure goes smoothly, without any issues.  However, if things aren’t as you would like, remember that it’s important to stay calm, cool and collected to have a more enjoyable trip.

It’s all good!

This article was published in Sixty and Me.  Click here to access this article.