Tomek Baginski /Unsplash
Traveling at the end of the year is just as horrifying as mid-summer travel. Everyone’s heading home to spend the holidays with family and friends. People save up all year long to make the trip home and bring in the New Year together. But it's only natural to feel anxious and strained during your holiday travels — or any time of the year.
A crowded airport is not fun, never mind when you factor in monstrous delays due to weather, unending security lines, unexpected layovers, and even missing bags — meaning missing presents! There’s only so much one can do in an airport to take their mind off the anxiety or stop worrying about if they’ll catch their next flight.
Here are a few tips to kill time while waiting on those uncomfy airport chairs that don’t recline.
Stay Hydrated
Hydro Flask
Yes, many airport bathrooms can be disgusting and drinking water means you’ll need to pay a visit. But just because you want to avoid them doesn’t mean you stop drinking water. You need to do exactly the opposite — keep yourself well hydrated which can help increase your energy levels.
Airports are full of water fountains with clean drinking water so instead of spending money buying — and wasting — plastic bottles, carry a reusable bottle. Hydro Flask offers stainless steel vacuum-insulated water bottles. They can handle both hot and cold drinks which makes them perfect for the airport.
The Hydro Flask carries 21 oz (621 ml) and slips nicely in a shoulder bag or fits in your backpack’s slot. It's an excellent travel buddy for your favorite drink.
Keep Yourself Entertained
Audible
There’s nothing worse than just sitting there, twiddling your thumbs, scrolling through IG, trying to wish the time away — staring at the clock doesn’t make the time go faster! A lot of people try sleeping during the endless wait. But for an anxious traveler, sleep is the last thing on your mind.
The best idea is to distract yourself, keep your mind active so it has no time to stress about delays or freak out about whether your luggage will be there on the carousel on the other side of the country. The best way to do this is to get lost in a book — you’ll see the hours fly by.
And if you’re not someone who loves to carry around a physical book, check out Audible. With your subscription, you receive one credit a month that you can use on any book in their fantastic collection narrated by exceptional actors and authors. So, download your favorite books from Audible, plug in your headphones and let George R.R Martin take you to Westeros.Comfortable Clothes
Alo Yoga
There’s nothing worse than hours of waiting while crushed in that agonizing airport seat in your tight, uncomfortable clothes. It's always a good idea to wear something loose and breathable so you can lounge and not feel trapped. Plus, it's important to remember to get up often and stretch so your muscles don’t cramp up.
I’m the kind of traveler who strolls along streets and outdoor markets in a jacket and joggers. That’s so I don’t get too cold but I need clothes that breathe and wick. Alo Yoga is perfect for this. They have everything from leggings, to tanks, and even dresses. Their range is incredibly comfortable and trendy. My favorite is the Micro Sherpa Destiny Jacket & Micro Sherpa High-Waist Solstice Sweatpant Set — my airport staple. It’s fully lined to keep out the cold and has brilliant zipped pockets for my phone and boarding pass.Plan Your Holiday
Poketo
The hours between flights are an excellent time to go online shopping and put your travel plans in order. You can spend time researching different places to see or organizing your itinerary to get an ideal mix of family and friend get togethers.
Poketo has a variety of planners that you can carry with you. Their Concept Planner provides a savvy notebook to pen down your goals for the day and any other ideas you have. The Spectrum Mini Planner — a smaller, portable version of a wall planner — presents each month in a different bright color — wonderful for those packed travel days. Plus, a planned holiday leads to fewer disruptions.Focus Your Mind
Headspace
Relax your mind and keep anxiety at bay. It’s not that simple to achieve and is even harder to achieve while in a crowded airport waiting to board your flight. Staying anxious the entire time is not good for your health. Stress and strain increases your heart rate, not allowing you a minute of rest, so you’ll be much more tired.
There are many ways to do this, focus on your breathing, count your breaths, or find a quiet area where you can relax and let go, even for a few minutes. The best way is with Headspace, the subscription app that’ll help calm your anxiety. The app is easy to use and offers various sounds and lengths. You can choose between meditation, sleep, focusing, waking up, or getting yourself to move. Listening to Headspace for a few minutes will help calm your breathing and make the wait less nerve-wracking.
