Written by Sahara Rose De Vore, 2019

Overcoming your mindset struggles when it comes to traveling

If you don’t have your mind in the right place, you will most likely not get the ideal experience from your travels as you plan or hope to. It doesn’t matter where in the world that you travel to, if your mind is in a funk, your trip will feel like a funk as well.  If you’re feeling depressed, stressed, sad, worries, scared, closed off, angry, or any other emotion that will interfere with you fully enjoying your travels, you will not get the experience out of your travels that you deserve.

Dealing with Anxiety

This is why getting your mindset right is so important.  As someone who struggles with an anxiety disorder, I have experienced every emotion throughout my 10 years of traveling the globe and I can definitely tell the difference between my trips based upon the mindset that I had in each of them. I completely understand that it isn’t easy to control certain emotions and you can’t always control what is going on in your life that triggers certain emotion but, if you can either go on a trip at a different time when your mindset improves or if you learn coping tools to use during your travels, you’ll have a much better overall experience during your travels.

Traveling with anxiety is terrible but it shouldn’t hold you back from accomplishing any travel goals that you may have.  It sure didn’t for me!  There are various coping mechanisms to help during your travels to help you get through mental hardships such as going for a walk at the beach, bringing a drawing pad and pencil and sitting in a park and drawing, writing in a journal, and more. 

A Range of Emotions

Do your best not to go into a trip with the wrong mindset; feeling stressed from work, in an argument with a loved one, scared of flying or the ocean or for other reasons, or sad due to a recent loss.  This is will definitely affect your time during your travels and the outcome of your trip.  If you’re scared, you won’t try new things, if you’re stressed, you won’t relax, if you’re angry, you won’t open up to new experiences or new people, if you’re closed off, you won’t want to make new connections, if you’re worried, you won’t appreciate your present state of being, and if you’re sad, you won’t attract positivity and joy during your travels. Getting your mind right is crucial to begin able to not only enjoy your travels but also allowing traveling to positively influence your life, teach you new things, gain new experiences, meet new people, and everything else that traveling can bring you.

What is your Why?

When considering your mindset, do some deep thinking on why you want to travel.  Although it may seem like you just want to go on a vacation to go on a vacation but, everyone travels for a reason. 
Do you want to travel to help reduce your amount of stress from work and your daily routine? 
Do you want to get away because you are in need of time to help you figure out your next steps in life? Do you travel to try to strengthen or reconnect with your partner?
Do you just want to spend uninterrupted time with your children and family?
Do you want to try to find your purpose and passion in life?
Did you just experience a traumatic or life-altering event in your life and traveling will help you to get away, have alone time, improve your mindset, and help you heal?
Do you absolutely love adventure and trying new things and you seek the beauty that the world offers?
Did you just graduate from university and you aren’t sure of your next steps in life so you want to travel to help you build connections, gain new experiences, and help bring clarity to your life direction and your career goals?
Do have limited vacation time each year because of your job and you want to use that vacation to reset your mind, not think about work, laugh and relax?

Think about it: why do you want to travel?
When you can recognize why you want to travel, you’ll appreciate, enjoy, and get the most out of your travels.  You’ll know exactly how to plan, approach, and go through your travels because you know the purpose of where you are and why you’re there.  You’ll then be able to apply what you learn and experience during your travels to your life, your life direction and plans, your goals, your career goals, your work life, your family life, and much more.  Remember, the power of travel is real!

No Excuses

Many people never accomplish any of their travel goals because they allow their negative mindset to win.  I have heard every excuse there is for why someone who wants to travel won’t. 

Some common excuses are:

“It’s too expensive”

“I have no one to go with and I’m afraid to go alone”

“I don’t have the time”

“I’m too busy with meetings and work”

“I have kids so I can’t”

“My partner doesn’t want to travel”

“My job won’t let me”

“Traveling isn’t safe”

From a traveler’s standpoint, these are excuses because there are possibilities to make your travel dreams come true despite any situation.  Although the ability to travel can be difficult at times due to work, finances, and other reasons, I find that the majority of people who want to travel, can travel, they just allow a negative mindset take over.

It’s human nature to want to stay within your comfort zone and feel safe but, that won’t allow you to gain the experiences that you deserves in life and that traveling can a bring you.  A lot of times these excuses are driven by fear, worry, anxiety, and stress.  It’s easier to quickly label something as not possible to do than to actually find a way to make it happen, to make changes in your life, to challenge yourself, to try something new, or to go outside of your comfort zone.  This is why getting your mindset right is so important. Identify and acknowledge the real reason for what’s holding you back from accomplishing your travel goals.  Is it truly because you can’t afford it (ehemm, this book should help with that!) or is it really because you have absolutely no time in your schedule to go or is it because you’re deathly afraid to go alone? 

I bet if you acknowledge the truth behind your excuse and you tap into the why you want to travel, with some hard work, flexibility, and changes made, you’ll be able to make your travel dreams come true! Just go for it!

Your Mindset After Your Travels

Now that you have taken your mindset into consideration before your travels and during your travels, don’t forget the importance of your mindset after your travels.


Sometimes it’s much easier to have a positive mindset when planning a trip and while you’re on your adventure but when you return home and back to your job and daily routine, that’s when your mindset can take a turn.  If you were escaping something which motivated your travels in the first place, whether that be problems in your daily life, relationship issues, or problems as your job, most likely those problems will resume once you return home from your travels.  Therefore, making sure your mindset is in a good place so when you return home from your trip, you don’t slide back into the same funk that made you want to get away.  The power that travel has is that it can help you figure out what you want out of life, what kind of person you want to be, what kind of relationship you desire, where you want to live in the world, what qualities you want in a career, and much more.  What you learn, realize, and experience during your travels should be applied to your daily life in every aspect of it: relationship, career, family, and home life.  Let your travels helps you create the ideal life that you desire because it is very possible, as long as you work on and get into the right mindset.