Flying With Anxiety
Flying gives lots of people anxiety. I have been flying on a regular basis since I was 5 and I still get very anxious when there is lots of turbulence. I usually throw my headphones on, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths to calm myself down.Maley recently started a Health & Fitness Instagram account. She is a personal trainer and has a B.S. in Exercise Science. Go check out her Instagram for great videos on ways to keep fit. I love that her girls pop up in every few videos. It shows that even a busy mom of two can fit a workout into their day!
I talked to Maley about how she deals with anxiety when she travels alone and when she travels with her girls. Here is what she said:
"First is being prepared. I do whatever I can in advance to make the day of travel as smooth as possible. Checking in online early, having a scale to weigh my suitcases at home so I'm not stressed about them being too heavy, having everything packed or laid out the night before, are all things that help ease the stress of that day. Knowing I've done everything to be ready makes a huge difference.
I always always have gum with me. When I am stressed or anxious, chewing gum helps calm me down. So on a flight right after I get myself settled, I pop a piece of gum.
Distractions are a great way to keep anxiety at bay. I always travel with a book that I am really excited about, magazines ( a girls gotta catch up on the latest celebrity gossip), my iPad or phone charged and ready with games. The more I keep myself occupied, the less I stress.
As far as traveling with my kids. I make sure the iPad and phone are fully charged. There are some awesome free apps for kids so I make sure to have those. And usually I will download a new episode of a favorite show or movie. We have coloring books and stickers, and of course tons of snacks! For a long time I didn't know you could bring food through security, so I stressed about being able to find healthy snacks that my kids would eat without costing an arm and a leg. But, you totally can bring food, especially when you have littles. So I have trail mix, cut fruit, granola bars, fruit snacks and even sandwiches ready to go the night before."
