11 Essential Items for Creating a Travel Anxiety Relief Kit
Travel can be an exciting opportunity to explore new destinations and create unforgettable memories. However, the stress of traveling can be overwhelming for those of us that live with anxiety, ADHD, or chronic pain. So we have to plan ahead with various strategies for anxiety reduction during travel. One of the best strategies can be to create a “toolkit”, a well organized bag of goodies that can help alleviate anxiety and stress during travel. In this article, we will explore 11 of the best products for creating an anxiety reduction kit.
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The Science of Anxiety Reduction
Medical professionals and scientists recommend that individuals with anxiety, ADHD, or chronic pain should have an anxiety reduction kit to help alleviate anxiety, stress or muscle issues like cramps or spasms.
The idea of an anxiety reduction “toolkit” may sound germane, but these kits are backed up by scientific research that supports the use of essential oils, fidget toys, noise-canceling headphones or even weighted blankets, to help reduce anxiety.
Medical professionals recommend the use of an anxiety reduction kit as part of self-care strategies that can contribute to better mental well-being. It is important for individuals to take care of their mental health while traveling as anxiety, ADHD, or chronic pain can be triggered by travel stressors such as airport security, long flights, unfamiliar places, or jet lag.
Creating an anxiety reduction kit for travel can be a proactive and effective way to manage and reduce anxiety during travel for individuals who love travel and live with these conditions.
11 Excellent ITEMS for Your Anxiety Reduction Kit
It is crucial for your Anxiety reduction kit to be a kit. Being organized to begin with is a very effective anxiety reduction technique. We love this well made, easy top pack bag on Amazon.
It is important to have your toolkit in one, organized place. This in itself, is a strategy for reducing anxiety during travel.
There are hundreds of different day bags, toiletry bags, bags that hang, bags that fold, the list goes on and on.
Choosing the right bag may seem like the easy part but it is of utmost importance that you give your kit the proper respect!
2. Mind Relaxing Supplements
Mind-relaxing supplements, backed by scientific research, have been shown to alleviate stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation. These natural solutions work by regulating our body’s stress response, fostering a balanced mental state that is crucial when navigating the challenges of travel. Moreover, they can enhance sleep quality, which is often disrupted during travel due to jet lag or unfamiliar sleeping environments.
Including such supplements in an anxiety reduction kit can provide an additional layer of support to manage mental well-being while traveling. They serve as a valuable resource that complements other tools in the kit, working synergistically to provide comprehensive anxiety and pain management.
When selecting supplements, it’s essential to opt for products that are scientifically validated and approved by healthcare professionals. Ingredients like magnesium, known for its calming properties, or adaptogens like Ashwagandha, which help the body adapt to stress, can be effective. Always remember to consult with a healthcare provider before incorporating any new supplements into your regimen, especially if you’re currently on medication.
In essence, mind-relaxing supplements can serve as a powerful ally in your travel journey, providing a natural, effective approach to reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. When used in conjunction with other strategies in an anxiety reduction kit, these supplements can significantly enhance the travel experience for individuals dealing with anxiety, ADHD, or chronic pain, making their journeys less about managing symptoms and more about enjoying their adventures.
PROS
- Promote relaxation without drowsiness
- All Natural
- Mild and won’t take you “out of it”
CONS
- Expensive to find the ones that work for you
- Takes a while to kick in
- Not readily available if you run out on the road
3. Body Relaxing Supplements
Body relaxing supplements can be incredibly beneficial for individuals who experience physical tension or pain while traveling. Common supplements like melatonin can help regulate sleep patterns, promoting better rest overall. Additionally, magnesium is known for its ability to reduce muscle tension and cramping, while turmeric and ginger can provide natural pain relief for muscle and joint discomfort. Lets not forget about hemp.
Including body relaxing supplements in a travel kit can help make the journey more comfortable and less physically taxing.
Related Article: Excellent Calm Gummies for Relaxation
PROS
- Promote relaxation sometimes with drowsiness
- All Natural products are ubiquitous and easy to find
- Variety of non-medication options
CONS
- Expensive to find the ones that work for you
- May take a while to kick in
4. Essential Oils
Essential oils, derived from nature’s most therapeutic plants, have long been recognized for their potent calming and soothing properties. In particular, lavender and peppermint essential oils have been scientifically proven to help alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation1.
Lavender essential oil, with its sweet, floral aroma, is renowned for its ability to reduce anxiety and induce sleep. It works by interacting with the neurotransmitter GABA to quiet the mind and relax the body2. On the other hand, peppermint essential oil, known for its refreshing, minty scent, has been found to relieve muscle tension, headaches, and boost energy levels3, making it a valuable companion for weary travelers.
The beauty of these essential oils lies in their simplicity of use. To harness their benefits, you can apply a few drops directly onto your skin, typically on pulse points like your wrists or temples. As your body heat diffuses the oil, the aromatic molecules are released, providing a soothing olfactory experience that can help ease underlying tension and promote a sense of calm.
Furthermore, essential oils are conveniently packaged in compact bottles, which makes them an ideal travel companion. Despite their small size, these bottles pack a powerful punch – a little goes a long way. This portability ensures that regardless of where your travels take you, you’ll always have these natural stress-relievers at your fingertips.
PROS
- Convenient and small enough to carry around, effective in reducing anxiety
- Many options with storied history
CONS
- Some people might have sensitivities or allergies to certain scents
- Hard to feel the effects
5. Noise-Canceling Headphones
The incessant background noise typically associated with travel can exacerbate discomfort. It’s here that noise-canceling headphones prove their worth as an indispensable tool in an anxiety reduction kit.
Noise-canceling headphones are designed with advanced technology that actively counteracts ambient noise. They operate by producing sound waves that essentially ‘cancel out’ incoming noise, effectively creating a peaceful bubble around the user. This can be particularly beneficial during travel, where constant noise from engines, chatter, or public announcements can create an overwhelming auditory environment.
These headphones serve a dual purpose. Firstly, they offer an effective strategy to block out distractions, promoting focus and concentration. Whether you’re engrossed in a book, catching up on work, or simply trying to relax, noise-canceling headphones can help create an environment conducive to these activities, even amidst the hustle and bustle of travel.
Secondly, they can significantly enhance rest and sleep quality during long flights or drives. By neutralizing disruptive noises, these headphones allow for uninterrupted sleep, which is crucial for managing chronic pain and maintaining overall well-being. They can also be paired with calming music or guided meditations, further enhancing their stress-relieving benefits.
In an era where we’re constantly surrounded by noise, the ability to control our auditory environment can have profound effects on our stress levels and mental health. Therefore, investing in a pair of noise-canceling headphones can be a game-changer for adult travelers with chronic pain, offering a practical solution to manage their symptoms and improve their travel experience.
Noise-canceling headphones can block out background noise from travel, like ambient noise. They can also be helpful to block out distractions when reading or trying to rest on long flights or drives.
PROS
- Blocks out background noise
- can improve relaxation and focus
- high quality
CONS
- The good ones are expensive
- may need a battery or charging to function
- easy to loose
6. Meditation Apps
Meditation has been scientifically proven as an effective tool to manage anxiety and stress. The advent of technology has made it easier to incorporate this ancient practice into our daily routines, with meditation apps offering guided sessions tailored to individual needs and circumstances.
These apps, which include popular options like Calm and Headspace, have been designed to cater specifically to individuals facing anxiety. They offer a plethora of guided meditation sessions, each focusing on different aspects of anxiety management. These may include sessions on mindfulness, stress reduction, sleep improvement, and more.
The Calm app is known for its extensive library of guided meditations, ranging from short, 3-minute sessions to longer, 25-minute ones. It also offers ‘Daily Calm’ sessions – a new 10-minute program added every day to help users start or end their day on a peaceful note.
On the other hand, Headspace offers a unique approach to meditation, combining mindfulness techniques with elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy . This makes it particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with anxiety, as it helps them understand and reframe negative thought patterns.
Incorporating these apps into your travel can provide a structured way to practice meditation and manage anxiety. Their user-friendly interfaces and customizable features make them accessible even to those new to meditation, ensuring that anyone can reap the benefits of this powerful practice..
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PROS
- Offers guided meditation sessions that can help reduce anxiety
CONS
- Can be distracting during flights
- Might need Wi-Fi or data to function properly
7. Fidget Toys
These simplistic yet ingenious devices are designed to provide a tactile distraction, helping to manage anxiety and promote a sense of calm.
Fidget toys work by engaging your senses in a non-distracting way, providing a physical outlet for nervous energy. This tactile engagement helps to soothe the mind and regulate emotional responses, fostering a sense of balance and control. For instance, the repetitive spinning action of a fidget spinner or the click-and-flip motion of a fidget cube can create a rhythmic pattern that helps to focus the mind and alleviate anxiety.
Moreover, these toys are compact and portable, making them ideal travel companions. Whether you’re waiting at the airport, sitting on a long flight, or navigating unfamiliar places, having a fidget toy at hand can provide immediate relief from anxiety and help maintain focus.
In addition, fidget toys can also indirectly contribute to pain management. Chronic pain is often exacerbated by stress and anxiety, so by helping to manage these factors, fidget toys can play a role in overall pain reduction.
PROS
- Provides healthy distraction
- Channel nervous energy
- Many variations
CONS
- Can be distracting to others if you’re in a public area or on a crowded flight
- They get lost and dirty
- All mental, they usually have zero practical use – tough for taking up valuable space during travel
Purchase The Fube Cube at Amazon: $18.95
These travel massage guns are a must have for travelers with chronic pain, but they are fantastic for anxiety as well.
Portable massagers are specifically designed to alleviate pain and reduce tension in the body. They work by applying targeted pressure to sore and tired muscles, effectively providing relief after a strenuous journey or a day full of physical activity. Whether you’re dealing with back pain from a long-haul flight or leg discomfort from a challenging hike, a portable massager can offer immediate relief, enhancing your overall travel experience.
However, it’s crucial to remember that most portable massagers operate on rechargeable batteries. Therefore, always ensure that you pack the necessary charging cable. It’s also advisable to fully charge your massager before leaving for your trip and to make provisions for recharging it during your stay. This way, you can guarantee that your portable massager is always ready to offer pain relief whenever you need it.
Check out our article: :the best massager guns for travel here.
PROS
- Reduces pain and eases tension after long trips
- Provides more physical relief than most items
CONS
- Some massagers are expensive
- More practical to bring on longer trips
- You really gonna break this out on a long flight?
9. Aromatherapy Inhalers
Initially, we approached aromatherapy inhalers with a degree of skepticism. However, after exploring their potential, we discovered that these compact devices offer a highly effective and convenient solution for managing anxiety, particularly for travelers dealing with chronic pain.
Aromatherapy inhalers are discreet tools that allow you to harness the power of essential oils anywhere, at any time. Their compact size makes them easy to carry in a pocket or purse, and they can be used subtly without drawing attention. This makes them an ideal tool for providing quick relief from anxiety during travel, whether you’re on a crowded plane, navigating a busy airport, or simply trying to unwind in your hotel room.
The science behind aromatherapy is well-documented. Specific scents have been found to stimulate the olfactory system, the part of the brain connected to smell, which can influence our emotions and behavior. In the case of aromatherapy inhalers, the carefully selected essential oils can help reduce feelings of anxiety and promote relaxation.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/aromatherapy/faq-20058566 ↩
We were skeptical at first but found that Aromatherapy inhalers provide a quick and easy solution to anxiety. They are discreet and can be used anywhere. The scent can help reduce anxiety and bring relaxation. We love this Moxe set.
PROS
- Discreet and effective in reducing anxiety
- convenient to carry around
CONS
- The scent can be too strong for some people
- the inhaler may run out too soon during long travels
10. Prescriptions: Organizers + Info
Traveling with chronic conditions often necessitates the use of various medications. Managing these effectively can be a significant challenge, particularly when coping with changes in time zones and routines. However, with strategic organization and the right tools, this task can be made considerably simpler and more efficient.
A pill organizer is a practical tool that can help streamline the process of medication management. These compact devices are designed to store and organize your pills, ensuring that each medication is taken at its prescribed time and in the accurate dosage. This is particularly crucial when dealing with time zone changes during travel, as it can prevent missed doses or accidental overdoses due to confusion or forgetfulness.
Moreover, pill organizers offer an additional layer of security, safeguarding against the risk of losing or misplacing medications while on the move. This can be particularly beneficial when traveling to unfamiliar locations where sourcing suitable replacements may prove challenging or impossible.
In addition to utilizing a pill organizer, carrying copies of your prescriptions is also highly recommended. This can serve two key purposes. Firstly, it can facilitate smoother interactions with pharmacies or healthcare providers in your destination, should you need to refill your medication or seek medical assistance. Secondly, in case of emergencies, these prescriptions can provide vital information to medical personnel, informing them of your existing medical conditions and ongoing treatments.
To summarize, for adult travelers managing chronic pain, the strategic organization of their medication is essential. Tools like pill organizers can provide a structured system for managing medication schedules, while carrying copies of prescriptions can offer additional reassurance and support in emergency situations. Therefore, these strategies should be considered integral parts of any Anxiety Reduction Kit.
Overall, incorporating pill organizers and keeping prescriptions with you during travel can help maintain good health and provide peace of mind.
11. Extra Idea: Adult Coloring Books
Adult coloring books are a great way to practice mindfulness and relaxation, particularly on longer flights or drives. Many books come with intricate designs that help focus the mind, relieving anxiety.
Mandala meditation is an ancient zen buddhist technique that can be easily accessed through inexpensive coloring books like these.
PROS
- Provides healthy distraction
- channel nervous energy.
CONS
- Can be distracting to others if you’re in a public area or on a crowded flight.
