Learn about travel anxiety and how to help your kids cope with it
Do you have kids who deal with travel anxiety? Or maybe you’ve dealt with it yourself. This week we are joined by 17-year-old Quincy Kadin to talk about strategies for coping with travel anxiety.
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Quincy shared some great insight into what travel anxiety is and how to cope with it. We hope that the information that she shares in the podcast can help you or your children combat travel anxiety and feel more at peace while traveling.
What are symptoms of travel anxiety? What should I look for to make sure my kid is okay?
Quincy explains that a severe symptom of anxiety might be a panic attack. In children, a panic attack may involve crying to the point of hyperventilating.
Panic attacks in adults may be less noticeable, but there are many possible symptoms.
Quincy shared that her typical symptoms are hyperventilating and shaking, so these might be some signs to watch for in your kids.
How can my kids or myself cope with travel anxiety?
First off, these strategies are not only for people with diagnosed anxiety. These are helpful tools to use whenever you or your child might be feeling nervous.
Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises are a great way to help “ground” yourself and give yourself control.
“Box breathing” can help you cope in moments of stress and anxiety. To do this, you breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 5 counts, breathe out for 6 counts, and hold for 4 counts. Then repeat as many times as needed.
Talk your kids through this exercise!
Another grounding strategy is to really feel your feet in your shoes. Remind yourself that you are here and you are okay.
Even if the situation is out of control, remember that you can control what you do with your body.
Review the travel itinerary beforehand.
Whether it’s for yourself or with your child, reviewing your itinerary can help settle some of the unknowns of travel.
Being familiar with what’s going to happen might help lessen the likelihood of panic attacks or overly stressful moments on the trip.
Tell your child the activities and details that will be happening on the trip.
A lot of anxiety is caused by the unknown. By telling your kids exactly what the plans are, you can relieve a lot of stress that they might be holding in.
Quincy’s book to help kids struggling with anxiety
After Quincy had some scary experiences with travel anxiety while traveling abroad, she was inspired to write a book to bring awareness of what anxiety really is.
Her goal is to give kids and adults language to talk about anxiety more clearly. The book helps normalize anxiety and teaches coping skills.
Her book is called Frankie’s Fishy Feelings. The book follows Frankie, a young shark nervous about his first day of “kindersharken”. Frankie is enrolled in therapy and learns coping mechanisms such as counting his fingers: Thumb, index, middle, ring, little.
This book is a great resource to help your kids feel less alone and helps them realize that everyone experiences “fishy feelings” sometimes.