22 Oct 3 Mindful Tips for Travelers

There is a famous quote that states ‘To Travel is to Live’. Well, this is very true. But sometimes traveling can be very stressful, especially when you have made your traveling plans at the last moment. Also, many people have anxiety around flying. Believe it or not, but stress and anxiety take away a part of the fun and exploration from travelers. In other words, you do not get to enjoy your trip as much as you wanted to because of your stress and anxiety.

People these days have a very busy and hectic life. If they get some days off to travel to their favorite locations, then they deserve to enjoy every bit of it. Something which can help them in this is mindfulness.

What is Mindfulness?

In the simplest terms, mindfulness can be defined as the act of paying attention to the present moment without actually judging it. Mindful meditation is found to be very beneficial for both mental as well as physical health.

Travel and Mindfulness

When you travel for pleasure, you need to forget all your worries and stay in the moment. This is often hard to achieve especially when you know that once you go back to your daily routine, you will have so many things to take care of. Worrying about what you will have to do once your trip gets over is only going to ruin your trip

       1. Enjoy where you are

Before beginning their journey, travelers have a list of places they want to visit and things they want to do there. Many travelers are so busy as well as excited about what they will get to see next that they often forget to enjoy the beauty of the place where they are actually present. This often makes trips less enjoyable. Hence, it is very important to bring your mind to the present if it is wandering in past or glancing towards your future. Don’t put your mind to an auto-pilot mode. Be aware of your surroundings. Notice every small thing like colors you notice, things you see, noises you hear etc. This will keep your mind focused and not let it wander around. This will not only help you to enjoy each part of your trip in a better way but also help you to remember even the minute details for a longer time.

2. Challenge your preconceptions

Because of the Internet, people know a lot of things about a particular place before they actually go there. And some things which they might know are told to them by their friends who have already been there. They might be right but you know exceptions are always there. If they had a bad experience, it does not necessarily mean that you will have the same experience too. You might actually enjoy the places where others didn’t. Well, things change with time. So do not let your preconceived ideas rule your mind. Use your mindfulness practice and begin to experience what is around you as well as inside of you. This way you will be able to have the purest experience uninfluenced by thoughts of other people. Moreover, you will never have the regret of not going to a particular place because some people asked you not to go there.

3. Let go of your problems

Problems here do not necessarily mean the problems related to your work. It also includes your fear, stress, anxiety and other factors which do not let you enjoy your trip whole-heartedly. You might have had a bad experience on a flight or at a hotel but you need to let it go if you want to make the most out of your trip. You might not be able to erase these problems permanently from your mind but no one is forcing you to do that. You just need to practice mindfulness which will divert your attention from your problems to the ambiance and beauty of the place where you are.

With mindfulness, you learn to live in the moment. By being conscious of your surroundings and by keeping your mind in the present moment, you will not only be able to enjoy your trip in a way which you might never have imagined but you will also connect better with the things you explore.

Purva Jain

Purva is a freelance writer from Udaipur, India. She covers a wide range of topics including health, lifestyle, news, food, and travel. You can reach out to her at [email protected].