The holidays are right around the corner and soon you’ll be packing up your family and heading back to your old hometown or maybe an entirely new city to spend time with your extended family. Unfortunately, holiday travel can be a real pain, especially when you’re not prepared for it.
Whether you’re traveling to Oahu, the most populated of the Hawaiian Islands, or Jerome, AZ, one of the least populated cities in the country, it’s important to plan ahead to reduce travel stress.
Consider the following tips you can use to make holiday travel that much easier so you can enjoy the holidays, no sweat required.
Pack light to reduce gas costs
Gas can get expensive when you’re traveling a long distance by car. When you pack too much into your vehicle, the extra weight can actually make your car burn more fuel to get to where you’re headed.
It’s true your car itself is already heavy. The U.S. produced 82 million metric tons of steel in 2017 and 13% of the world’s steel is used in the automotive industry.
Class 8 trucks alone weigh over 33,000 pounds. But your car isn’t meant to carry tons of stuff the way Class 8 trucks are.
That being said, to keep your car from guzzling away your holiday budget, keep your suitcases light and only pack the essentials.
Travel in a vehicle you can rely on
One way not to reduce travel stress this holiday season is to travel in your family’s barely-held-together station wagon that’s prone to unexpected break downs on the side of the road.
If you’re not traveling by plane, be sure to use a vehicle you can rely on so you don’t need to rely on AAA. You can rent an RV from one of the 12,000 RV-related businesses in the nation, or you can rent a larger vehicle. Just be sure that the vehicle you choose to rent for the trip is insured.
Keep healthy snacks on hand
It’s all too easy for everyone to lose their temper when they’re hungry. Unfortunately, when you’re on the road, there aren’t many places for you to stop and eat. And, when you do find a place, they’re not always the most nutritious.
Junk food and sugar can make your body feel even worse when you’re traveling, and your kids won’t be feeling great either. To keep everyone, including yourself, happy, pack snacks and drinks that will keep everyone fueled.
If you’re flying, grab food before you board the airplane so you don’t have to worry about finding airline food.
Practice deep breathing before you go anywhere
If you wait until you travel to learn how to do deep breathing or to discover new anxiety-reducing apps on your phone, you can end up feeling more stressed. Prepare yourself and your family for stressful moments by practicing deep breathing together at least a week before the trip.
Stress management is important for everyone, and when your family knows how to manage their stress it can help to reduce yours, too.
When you’re traveling for the holidays, it’s easy to let the stress get to you. But if you plan ahead to reduce the chances of ending up in a situation that will make you more anxious (like your car breaking down), you can breathe a little easier during your trip.
