The Ups and Downs of Traveling: Mental Health Unpacked
- Jenny Lou Faber
- Dec 16, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 20
Traveling can feel like a double-edged sword: on the one side, there's the excitement of discovering new places and cultures and creating memories with loved ones; on the other side, the emotional turbulence that sometimes tags along. Whether you're an experienced traveler or just considering your first trip, these feelings are more common than you think.
For some, a dream getaway can be overshadowed by fears of overcrowded airports and venues or being in unknown lands with people who don't speak the same language. Yet, travel has a way of soothing our minds, sparking creativity, and reminding us of the beauty of stepping outside our comfort zone.
As someone who navigates life with depression and anxiety, I feel these challenges every time I travel - but I have learned how to deal with the weight of it all and move forward.

Travel can heal, challenge, and transform you in unexpected ways. In this post, we'll unpack the complex relationship between travel and mental health and explore how the right planning and mindset can make all the difference.
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed mental health professional, though I hold a Bachelor's degree in psychology. The information shared in this post is based on personal experiences and should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health advice or treatment.
The Bad
A few reasons why people get stressed when they travel include:
Overwhelm from planning the trip
Fear of missing out
Fear of flying
Irritation from being in a car for long periods
Excess of a vice such as alcohol or smoking
Sleep deprivation or jetlag
Culture shock
Sense of isolation
Feeling ill after traveling
Wayfinding through an unknown territory
Overcrowding
Navigating language barriers and cultural differences in social interactions
This list is not exhaustive, as each traveler's experience is unique.

This post does not address every reason, but it could be addressed in the future. Stay tuned.
Most of these fears and stressors could be confronted or planned for as long as they are acknowledged beforehand.
Items on the list that can be planned:
Sleep deprivation or jetlag can be planned for by using tactics such as staying awake until a certain time in the new city.
Wayfinding in the unknown and speaking to those who do not speak the same language can be planned by finding how to access the internet on your phone for GPS, transportation options, and maybe a translator app.
Researching the place you're visiting can help curb the culture shock. Figuring out what is the same and what is different will be a real help with your mindset.
Speaking of mindset, if you are concerned about partaking too much in a vice such as alcohol, knowing that ahead of time and putting limits on yourself as well as making sure you're in the right mindset.

Many of these fears and stressors can be combatted, and F That Travel could help you on your journey.
On to the good stuff!
The Good
We have all heard so many times about the good travel can do for people's mental health. It:
reduces stress
increases creativity
increases resiliency or a sense of accomplishment
increases productivity
reduces job burnout
lowers the risk of depression
unmasks undiagnosed disorders

Travel does so much for our senses. It's not just about seeing different surroundings. It's about the smells, tastes, sounds, and feels. Maybe the feels aren't just sand between our toes, but maybe we meet a new person who tells us a story that tugs at our heartstrings. Even writing this and imagining exploring new places fills me up and puts a smile on my face.
All the items on this list are a product of the sensations introduced to our bodies and minds. Taking a trip is like when you get up and take a walk in the middle of the day to get your body moving and temporarily get away from the desk but on a much larger scale.
When a writer has writer's block or an artist is stuck, the advice given is usually something along the lines of going out for a walk, or a coffee break, or some other activity that gets them away from their current work.

That's what travel does. It pulls you out of your comfort zone and changes the way your brain normally functions for a bit. There are new stimuli to take in and process and your brain is loving it.
I put the last item on the good list because I believe that knowing about a disorder is much better than not. There is a podcaster I listen to regularly who said her life completely changed when she was diagnosed with ADHD. All of those symptoms had been there, but she didn't know what they were. Now that she knows, she notices and does what she needs to do. Which leads me to, well, me.
My experiences
I'm about to get real personal. I suffer from depression and have since I was about 18 years old. Without divulging too much, I have triggers that send me down fairly quickly and I have trouble recovering for weeks. The tools my therapists and I have tried for many years can work, but sometimes it takes a lot more work.

Travel really does help me. Unfortunately, money is one of my triggers, so if where we want to travel costs a lot of money, it might take more convincing to get me to go somewhere. For example, every once in a while my husband will want to go to a town a few hours north of us. Immediately, I spiral into how much it's going to cost and can we afford it. However, we plan it out a little and we go. It's incredible how little the money means to me on the way back from our little day trip. Going was so worth the monetary cost. We returned feeling renewed because we had fun, saw beautiful sights, and ate delicious food.

Earlier this year, my family and I took a trip to Florida. We spent a few days in the Clearwater and Tampa areas and then spent a couple of days at Disney. That trip was incredible! Did it cost a lot? You bet it did. More than we had intended, which, honestly, caused a few problems after we returned. BUT it was a transformative trip for the entire family as we all grew in ways we didn't anticipate. As for myself, I gained a lot of clarity. I came back with many ideas about my travel business and I couldn't wait to get make those ideas a reality.
What I want to leave you with
Of course, traveling will have its ups and downs. Some of those ups and downs can take a toll on our mental health, but I hope you can see that the good outweighs the bad. The challenges - the stress, the anxiety, the unexpected moments - can often be planned for or mitigated with the right support and mindset.
Even when they can't be avoided, those challenges are often what makes travel such a meaningful journey. In those moments of discomfort, we learn, grow, and discover more about ourselves.
The good we get from travel such as the memories, connections, and personal growth cannot be replicated. That's the magic that stays with us even after we return and the suitcases are all unpacked.
If you are in the situation where you feel overwhelmed or unsure of what you should do next, please know that you are not alone. You don't have to do this all by yourself. I am more to help. I want to make every part of your trip a great experience.

Whether you want help to plan out every detail or you just need to know what your next step is, contact me and we can talk this out.
Comments