Travel Anxiety And Post-Covid Depression! – Are You Ready For Traveling Again?

Are you suffering from travel anxiety, or do you have post-Covid depression? Well, you´re not alone! 

Currently, each day brings more and more good news. Infection numbers are going down, vaccination numbers go up, and we have fewer restrictions from week to week here in Germany and most of Europe. And the best is that finally, we got the “Go” for hotels, campgrounds, and more where we can stay again. 

I mean, that should be good news. Especially for such travel addicts like you and me!

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Resources & Recommendations

• FREEBIE – The ultimate travel checklist so that you never forget anything when you plan your next trip!
• Momondo* – Find the best prices on flights.
• Best Accommodations* – Check out my favorite accommodations around the world!
• GetYourGuide*– Find exclusive and unique sightseeing tours all over the world!
• Best Free Travel Apps – Find useful apps for your travels!

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Struggling With Decision Making, Travel Anxiety, And Post-Covid Depression

I don’t know about you, but I, for some unknown reason, struggle to feel happy about that good news.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m more than grateful that here in Germany it’s possible to travel again. And vacations in Germany are fantastic! I know this from last year’s trip to Bavaria when I was on a road trip on Romantic Street. And there’s so much more to explore. 

But, at the same time, I somehow feel depressed. It’s like having some travel anxiety and depression. Also, I feel unable to make any decisions right now.

Struggling With Decision Making

First of all, I hate being forced to make a decision. On the one hand, I´m a typical Libra, weighing all different kinds of reason, feelings, research results, and desires from all possible perspectives and then make a profound decision of what I´m going to do. Sometimes this process is as quick as a blink of an eye, and sometimes it takes a bit longer. It all depends on how huge my desire is. If I desire something, it usually only takes a moment to do it, and I´ll start finding ways to accomplish that goal. On the other hand, if I´m not on fire, that decision-making process could be endless.

If I am forced to make a decision, I feel like a deer in the headlights of a car. Standing still, paralyzed, not able to move! It´s hard to get a decision from me in such a situation. And I don´t think you should blame me for this when this decision turns out to be a mess. You shouldn´t have forced me!

Unfortunately, this is the exact situation I´m in at the moment. At least, it feels like it! 

Being Forced To Take Vacation

New vacation policies at the company say that I „must“ take all holidays until the end of the year. We are no longer allowed to take over some unused vacation days into the following year. Hence, I am forced to take a vacation.

In pre-Covid times this wouldn’t be an issue. I could easily take several weeks and go on a road trip multiple times a year.

But today, with all the travel restrictions and Covid-rules, open and easy-going destinations are still limited.

I Don´t Want To Waste My Vacation.

I also don’t want again “waste” that vacation by sitting at home!

No offense! I love my balcony, and for last year, I needed that to stay here for a while, so travel restrictions came in handy somehow.

But except for that road trip in summer last year, everything that came after this one looked the same. Sitting on my couch and struggle to find anything that felt interesting enough to get outside and have, at least, the feeling that it´s not entirely wasted.

I mean, I haven´t seen so many alternative walking routes in Düsseldorf the entire years that I´ve been living here! However, I’m hungry to see something else.

Take It Or Lose It

On the other hand, when I don’t take those vacation days, I will probably lose them without exchanging anything! So take it, or lose it, will be the new theme. And who does want that?

Also, when I have to take all those days within the next six months, who will do my work instead? There is no actual replacement at the moment, and I would need to do everything by myself when I´m back at work, with all the work that I currently struggle to deal with, plus what will be left untouched while I´m on vacation. It´s just a lot of pressure!

And this, my friend, causes me loads of stress; mental stress.

How I´m supposed to have a proper vacation when the only thing I do all the time is thinking about when I should do all the work that nobody is doing for me?

Travel Anxiety

Or should I call this travel anxiety the unwillingness of being stressed out by researching the newest Covid-rules!

Although more and more destinations open up again, it´s still a rag rug-like situation with different rules and restrictions. They differ from country to country and from area to area. Even within a city, you can different directions depending on the popularity of a location. 

I´m a person who wants to have absolute relaxation and the possibility of being spontaneous, and the last thing I want to do when I´m traveling is to find the next test center. 

Another point is that we don´t know how the number of infections and the situation, in general, will develop. Who knows how long vaccination lasts or when everyone will finally have the chance to get a vaccination first. So planning a journey for the next two or three months, at least, still feels too risky for me. I´m not particularly eager to book a vacation now, for instance, in October. And then sitting there with a packed bag and get the message that all travels are canceled due to high numbers again. Or worse, being at the destination while being declared a high-risk Covid country, you need to figure out if it´s possible to go back home or what rules you have to follow. 

If I want to, everything is possible, and I can deal with these obstacles. Of course, I can! But the question here is; do I really want to deal with that! 

I´m a person who wants to have real relaxation and the possibility of being spontaneous! #travel #travelrestrictions #travelanxiety #traveling #traveltips Click To Tweet

Nothing Interesting Out There?

I feel paralyzed because the destinations that I want to go to are still on restriction mode. Therefore, no option for me yet.

Australia is still closed at the moment. The USA just extended its travel restrictions for EU people. These were the two destinations that I planned to travel to last year. Road trips through Tasmania and New Mexico to Denver, Colorado.

Unfortunately, both journeys are still not possible. Indeed, it´s hard for me to change plans when I was so focused and excited about something.

On the other side, I know that there are quite some possible alternative destinations already. But, unfortunately, I´m not really interested or excited about it. So it would be more of a compromise than a desire to be there.

Post-Covid Depression

I call it post-Covid depression, but indeed, it´s more about being frustrated about the fact that I´m not able to make a final decision if I should travel somewhere and where! It´s so frustrating!

The desire to travel again is there! I´m starving of going somewhere. There are plenty of ideas where I want to go, but another rule or restriction pops up whenever I look deeper into it.

You see, it´s quite a dilemma, and I’m struggling to decide what I should do! When I can’t travel where I want to travel, should I travel to a place that I don’t want to be? Because of the traveling as such? Just because it’s allowed again? Should that the only reason for me to travel? I mean, staying at home again isn’t an attractive perspective either.

I know, I know, what a luxury issue. Other people would be happy about traveling as such. But I want to travel because I want to explore new places get in touch with locals and their culture. Or go back to places that I loved, like New Orleans, Alaska, or Ireland! What I don´t want is to get stressed because anything Covid-related could happen at any moment!

All those reasons lead me to the point where I feel paralyzed and frustrated. It drives me crazy that you can´t do things anymore how, when, or where you want. And the worst thing about the entire situation is that we don´t know when or if this will have an end.

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How To Overcome Travel Anxiety And Post-Covid Depression – Stopping Paralyzation

Well, enough with low vibrational vibes here! Let´s be hopeful again and focus on possibilities! I take the current situation as an opportunity to grow!

As I couldn’t go on a journey in the world, I started a journey into my inner world at the beginning of this year. And it looks like this journey will go on for quite a while.

In the past weeks, I learned quite a few things about myself and my limiting beliefs. It was all about the Magic of Receiving*. Besides going deep into my mind and all kinds of shadows that are living in me. Any ideas told me in my childhood, teenage life, and up to today. I found out and clear quite a few of them (I guess there are even more still hidden and need to be dug out), limiting me.

Limit me in receiving and believing what might be possible.

Surrender

Receiving in means that I need to surrender. Surrender to the current circumstances and trust that everything will be ok again. For example, giving up the belief that I have to control everything (because I can´t) and changing my reaction when it happens. For example, being upset, frustrated, or angry when I can´t control anything.

What if my current challenge is to surrender? Surrender and give up the urge to control everything! Surrender and being led by the current circumstances, restrictions, and limitations, I trust that this path will give me what I need right now (not necessarily the same as what I want but what I need).

Trust that everything will be ok no matter what! #travel #travelanxiety #covid #travelrestrictions Click To Tweet

Trust

What I also learned is that being open and available to receiving means that I need to trust. Trusting that it’s safe for me to believe that the universe knows best and always will work in my favor. I only need to ask for it.

What is that my current challenge is to trust? Trust that the current circumstances, restrictions, and limitations are exactly where they need to be.

Deserveability

Well, that one is the toughest one for me.

What I found out, even more, intensive over the past week, is that deep inside, I believe that I don’t deserve it. So this one will need, for sure, a lot of my work.

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Resolution

What if that this is what the universe wants to tell and teach me? To learn to trust and surrender and come a bit closer to be open and available to receive everything that I ever desire.

And when I unlearn the belief that I am not worthy? Damn, I will be unstoppable!!!

Huh, this piece of writing became a bit more philosophically as I intended.

Anyway, writing about it and telling you how I feel takes a big chunk of pressure off of my shoulders. It helped me make a decision eventually. I choose to trust and surrender. As a result, I feel even more hopeful!

I´m not done yet getting rid of this travel anxiety and post-covid depression. But I´m pretty sure that the decision to surrender and see what options will cross my path in the next weeks will surprise me with some awesome opportunities that I can´t see right now. 

Meanwhile, tell me about you! Can you relate to my struggles? Have you similar experiences? And if yes, how did you overcome those? Are you already traveling? Where did you go? Or do you have a plan at least?

Please leave me some good vibes and inspiration in the comments below this post!