pre trip anxiety

disneyworldsk

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 10, 2014
i typically get pre trip anxiety. now with covid, it's even worse. specifically claustrophia and i have anxiety i will get claustrophia on the plane especially masked. i also get anxious over other things but once i'm in disney and land it all goes away...! any tips?
 
while travelling (ie on the plane) try to keep yourself distracted/occupied. Read, puzzle books, disney trivia game, review hidden mickey locations you'd like to investigate, bring a disney coloring book and pencils, watch favorite disney movies, focus on the upcoming fun! Whenever needed, go to the bathroom, take off your mask, and take some DEEP breathes.

you got this.
 
i typically get pre trip anxiety. now with covid, it's even worse. specifically claustrophia and i have anxiety i will get claustrophia on the plane especially masked. i also get anxious over other things but once i'm in disney and land it all goes away...! any tips?
If you're on an airline that allows snacks, take food on the plane, eat the whole way there. Then you only worry about the mask getting on and getting off the plane. With Delta, they were handing out snacks as soon as we were in the air.
 
I agree with what the other people said and would add listen to music also. I keep myself as occupied as possible with puzzles, music and books. Which airline are you taking? If it is Southwest, try to sit toward the front half of the plane. I find that if I sit toward the back it makes my claustrophobia worse. I have under 2 weeks until my trip and even though I'm super excited my anxiety is starting to set in. Ugh. I get the claustrophobia on the plane and from now up until I'm actually there I will have to deal with some agoraphobia type of anxiety. One other thing about the masks. Do you wear them often? If not I would wear some around the house for a couple hours to see which ones you will be more comfortable with. I think I may wear a paper disposable one on the plane since they are lighter.
 


I have only felt that feeling once and happened to have an Orange in my purse to smell and give my brain something else to focus on.
I also think a coloring book or paper with colored pencils to draw is very calming. I am not artistic but drew an entire page of stars alternating colors. Haha I guess crayons would be better on plane cause you wouldn’t have to carry a pencil sharpener... maybe a deck of cards to shuffle or play solitaire on iPad.
I would bring a wet washcloth ( in plastic bag ) to hold on my face while in bathroom plane to refresh. Ask for a cup of water + a cup of ice if serving refreshments. You could drink water and then have cup of ice to chew on. Maybe a lollipop .That would possibly work with a mask on.
I agree with lightweight disposable mask to refresh more often .
I usually wear something with hood to have option of pulling up to give a feeling of privacy.
 
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i love all of your ideas. i learned a few new ones here and do some of these already. however, do you all have ideas for the anxiety PRIOR to the trip about it....i wake up in the night thinking about it! And once i'm on the plane/and i employ these techniques listed in this thread all is great and it works. but i have over sixty days to go and it's on my mind contstantly! that's the part i hate! the BEFORE trip anxiety....i guess distraction i can do when i'm thinking about it....
 
i love all of your ideas. i learned a few new ones here and do some of these already. however, do you all have ideas for the anxiety PRIOR to the trip about it....i wake up in the night thinking about it! And once i'm on the plane/and i employ these techniques listed in this thread all is great and it works. but i have over sixty days to go and it's on my mind contstantly! that's the part i hate! the BEFORE trip anxiety....i guess distraction i can do when i'm thinking about it....
I’m not sure if this is allowed to be said BUT I once told my dr I was afraid I’d freak out on the plane and she prescribed me something for plane rides. The interesting thing is that I used it once. Now just knowing the med is on my bag helps me not panic. I know there’s “an out” (again that may sound silly to some).
I’m not sure if this will help you, but it helps me so I wanted to share: How early do you start packing? You may want to lay out your bags and begin packing your things (that you don’t currently need). Make a list of essentials that you don’t want to forget (wipes, extra masks, your distraction items for the plane etc). When you think of something that you want to pack, pop it in the appropriate bag, don’t worry about organizing just yet but you will know it’s in there so as not to be forgotten! When you feel anxious go to your bags, look at the things you’ve got in there to assure your mind that “you are prepared” this gives me a reassuring feeling of control (that may sound silly to some people that don’t deal with anxiety or excessive worry). But, for example I might wake up and think “what if it rains!!!!” But I can glance over at my bag and realize that my ponchos and my umbrellas are in there. This relaxes me. Umbrellas are also good for ensuring ppl keep their distance from you, since you mentioned something related and many people use for shade so you could have it all the time. If you wake up worried about the plane, you can glance at your bag knowing that you have “your gear”, you are prepared, you are in control, it’s going to be fine!
Edited: I wanted to add that yes I did see OP has 60 days to go and yes I do start packing that far out bc it engages my mind, making lists and adding to my bags is my pre trip project of sorts.
 
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I’m not sure if this will help you, but it helps me so I wanted to share: How early do you start packing? You may want to lay out your bags and begin packing your things (that you don’t currently need). Make a list of essentials that you don’t want to forget (wipes, extra masks, your distraction items for the plane etc). When you think of something that you want to pack, pop it in the appropriate bag, don’t worry about organizing just yet but you will know it’s in there so as not to be forgotten! When you feel anxious go to your bags, look at the things you’ve got in there to assure your mind that “you are prepared” this gives me a reassuring feeling of control (that may sound silly to some people that don’t deal with anxiety or excessive worry). But, for example I might wake up and think “what if it rains!!!!” But I can glance over at my bag and realize that my ponchos and my umbrellas are in there. This relaxes me. Umbrellas are also good for ensuring ppl keep their distance from you, since you mentioned something related and many people use for shade so you could have it all the time. If you wake up worried about the plane, you can glance at your bag knowing that you have “your gear”, you are prepared, you are in control, it’s going to be fine!
Edited: I wanted to add that yes I did see OP has 60 days to go and yes I do start packing that far out bc it engages my mind, making lists and adding to my bags is my pre trip project of sorts.
Thank you. I just began a little bit this wknd with 'the pile' which is indeed in my bedroom. yes, maybe that will help! i never correlated the two.
 
Thank you. I just began a little bit this wknd with 'the pile' which is indeed in my bedroom. yes, maybe that will help! i never correlated the two.
I have a particular issue with panic while flying. I wanted to share with you that when the issue started years ago, I told my dr. I was afraid I’d “freak out” on the upcoming flight (based on my experience during a previous flight, based on claustrophobic feelings) and she prescribed something for me to take before my next flight though I don’t take anything on a regular basis. . I took it that once and it did alleviate anxiety. But then (this nay again sound silly to some) I don’t need to take it but “knowing it’s there” in my backpack helps me relax. Because I know that if I start to panic, I can fix it, and that breaks my cycle of worrying I’ll panic, then anxiety escalates etc. I’m not sure your level of anxiety but for me this has given me the most freedom with the flying part (and the worry beforehand).
 
i love all of your ideas. i learned a few new ones here and do some of these already. however, do you all have ideas for the anxiety PRIOR to the trip about it....i wake up in the night thinking about it! And once i'm on the plane/and i employ these techniques listed in this thread all is great and it works. but i have over sixty days to go and it's on my mind contstantly! that's the part i hate! the BEFORE trip anxiety....i guess distraction i can do when i'm thinking about it....
Oh I'm sorry I misunderstood and thought it was mostly the claustrophobia. I kind of said in my other post that my pre trip anxiety is going on right now. Do I have everything I need? Did I do everything I needed to before hand? All of that along with the other anxiety. One thing that has helped me is to do what the other person said and have a place I put my stuff ahead of time. I have had my suitcase out and throw stuff into it as I get it. I have been buying a little bit at a time for a while. I check on it every now and then to see what I still need. One thing that has really helped is that I have a Disney note book. I have all my info in there that I need for my trip. My packing list, what I need to buy, trip details what I need to do yet etc. Anytime I think of something it gets written in there and then crossed off when I do it. Not only does it help with organization but it really helps me to see what all I have accomplished and what I still need to do. I actually need to check it right now because I know there is something in it that I need to do today lol.
 
I agree with others, lists are my best friend. I have the same one I reuse for every trip. That way I know I'm not missing anything. And I do have anxiety about flying, for days ahead of departure I can't even eat!. I take a gravol an hour or so before my flight and that normally relaxes me enough to get by. And if it doesn't I take a half if one. Don't want to knock myself out though!
 
i love all of your ideas. i learned a few new ones here and do some of these already. however, do you all have ideas for the anxiety PRIOR to the trip about it....i wake up in the night thinking about it! And once i'm on the plane/and i employ these techniques listed in this thread all is great and it works. but i have over sixty days to go and it's on my mind contstantly! that's the part i hate! the BEFORE trip anxiety....i guess distraction i can do when i'm thinking about it....
What about making a list of everything? Packing list. Activity list. Restaurant list. Whatever. That way you are doing something productive and can refer to the lists for that pretrial anxiety.
 
I don't get anxious about the actual trip, but I do think about work piling up when I'm gone. So, I clean my office and desk during the weeks leading up to the trip. Not seeing papers and folders everywhere clears my mind, let's me know that I am prepared for some time off and let's me know that I won't be overwhelmed when I return. Not sure if that helps, but it's what calms my travel nerves. As to packing, etc, the only thing I really need is my wallet and any medications. Everything else can be replaced once there. Oh, and the kids. Can't forget the kids.
 
If you're on an airline that allows snacks, take food on the plane, eat the whole way there. Then you only worry about the mask getting on and getting off the plane. With Delta, they were handing out snacks as soon as we were in the air.
Airlines can and do notice when people do this to try and “cheat the system”. Please do not be that person, I’ve seen them call people out for this.
 
After having to hand my then 1 year old son to a nearby stranger so I could faint I have embraced Xanax. He is 19 now and I haven’t flown without Xanax since. My doctor gives me like 5 pills for the trip and I take 1 heading to FL and then one heading back from the Midwest and I just don’t care about the impending doom I otherwise feel sure will happen. Very freeing.
 
i love all of your ideas. i learned a few new ones here and do some of these already. however, do you all have ideas for the anxiety PRIOR to the trip about it....i wake up in the night thinking about it! And once i'm on the plane/and i employ these techniques listed in this thread all is great and it works. but i have over sixty days to go and it's on my mind contstantly! that's the part i hate! the BEFORE trip anxiety....i guess distraction i can do when i'm thinking about it....
I get this way as well! I'm afraid I'll forget something major. I'm at 62 days out.

I keep a running list of "don't forgets" on phone, so if I suddenly remember something I hadn't thought of, I just add it to the list. This especially helps during the middle of the night when I wake up in a mild panic about whatever. (Like just now, I remembered that I forgot to add "hair clips for the drapes" to my packing list, so I quickly added it.) I also keep my flight times and park reservation information nearby (again, on my phone, easily available in the MDE and my airline apps) so I can calm myself by looking at plans. But really, I know I'm going to obsess, and allow myself some grace. I also take my luggage out to "pre-pack" like others have mentioned.

I also use my "freak outs" to work on my meditations with aromatherapy. My "relaxing scent" tends to be citrus smells, so I do that. And my meditation is totally ridiculous-- I just picture the drive to the airport, and each step to get to the destination. So, grabbing suitcases, putting them in the trunk. Back out of driveway. Left turn. Left turn. Zig zag. Left turn, etc., all the way to the airport, then parking, hopping on their shuttle, getting to and through TSA, and on and on. Usually I'm calm (or asleep!) by my virtual "snack time" on the imaginary plane.

These things don't totally ease my general anxiety around planning, but they definitely calm it down to a manageable level!
 
At least I know why somebody would want hair clips for curtains as bizarre as that sounds... food clips for bags are good too. For curtains. Not hair... haha
 
Just close eyes and try to walk down Main Street to concentrate but closing eyes would not help Would it?
 
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