Steps for happier travelling

Visiting happy and successful family members in Australia, seeing the new grandchild for the first time or meeting the son's soon-to-be spouse, may be a long-looked forward to event but, the thought of sitting in a plane for over twenty-four hours may fill us with anxiety. Even frequent flyers may find it stressful to travel.

8 simple steps to happier travelling

There are many small steps we can take which can make travelling more comfortable. Some of these we already know and may seem obvious, but, in the last minute rush, we may omit or forget them.

• Take time to plan all the details well ahead.Check that the passport is in date, know the flight times and how far ahead you need to check in. Know which airline you are travelling with as there can be two flights to your destination from your local airport at about the same time.
• Make sure you only have items you are legally allowed to have in your hand luggage, remembering to put things like nail scissors in your checked-in luggage. Any fluids need to be in clear see-through bags and be under 100ml in size.
• Take good deep breaths through the processes of checking-in, and security checks (some airports have several security checks) ask for help from the kindly airport staff if scanning your passport proves tricky (the voice of experience here!)
• Keep an eye on the monitors which indicate your boarding gate and head down there in plenty of time. Duty-free may be alluring but a run to the boarding gate is no fun and gets the journey off to a stressful start.
• Once on board, especially on a long haul flight, keeping hydrated is very important as dehydration can impact us negatively in all sorts of ways. Move frequently and enjoy stretching the legs and rotating the ankles to maintain good circulation. Check with your local healthfood store or pharmacy whether Venagel might help if you have a tendency towards tired aching legs. Get up and walk up and down the aisle every so often.
• Take with you some remedies which may be helpful. A nice sleep on a long flight can shorten the journey and help you to feel better on arrival. Taking along a safe sleeping remedy like Dormeasan may help us dose off easily, and will help establish a fresh sleeping pattern on arrival, plus the herbs Valerian and Hops in Dormeasan are also known to help with mild stress.
• We know that just under fifty percent of travellers arrive at their destination with an infection, most often a chest infection, so the herbal remedy Echinaforce Throat Spray can be a good tool to have in one's bag or carry-on luggage.
• Often times our digestive system manifests its objection to sitting for hours in a pressurised cabin and eating a different diet. This can make us feel bloated, become constipated, or generally feel uncomfortable and with our tummies saying 'I don't like this'. I have found Milk Thistle Complex Tablets to be very helpful when on holiday, they help with digestive discomfort and can also support our digestion when eating and drinking a bit more than we might do at home.

In these stressful times, we need our holidays more than ever. With these simple steps we'll be more relaxed and happy as we track through the airport and head for the sun. Don't forget to take care, breathe, and enjoy the journey as well as the destination.