For some people, airports can be more stressful than work or moving house. If you experience airport stress and anxiety, or simply want to make your visit to the airport run as smoothly as possible, this guide should help.
Here are ten ways you can avoid stress at the airport, whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure:
Arrive early
You can’t always predict when there are going to be motorway closures, car breakdowns, roadworks or other issues so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. It can be well worth considering staying over the night before at a nearby hotel to prevent any panicking and give yourself the best chance of getting a good night’s sleep, especially if you’ve got an early flight.
If you’re flying from London Gatwick, Birmingham or Luton airports you could take advance of the Ibis Red’s Park, Sleep and Fly offer which gives you free parking with a one night’s stay.
Remember where you parked
This won’t be an issue if you park in your hotel car park, but if you decide not to stayover, take note. There’s nothing worse that arriving back after an incredible holiday only to spend hours wandering around the airport’s car parks trying to find your car because you’ve forgotten where you’ve parked it. To stop this happening, take a photo of the zone number or write it down before you head inside the airport to check in.
Keep your documents all together
Rather than letting each individual member of your party
look after their own passport and boarding passes, keep everything together in
one wallet or folder. You can also include any hotel paperwork and transfer
tickets, so you can easily fish them out when required. This should hopefully
stop you feeling flustered.<o:p></o:p>
Take an empty drinks bottle with you
You can’t pass through security with a drink, but there’s nothing stopping you from taking an empty bottle. Once you’re in the lounge area, you’ll be able to fill your bottle with water and this can not only save you money but if queues in the shops are big, save you time.
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
It can be tempting to have a few beers or glasses of prosciutto or wine before you board, but this can actually make you feel more stressed. Limit how much you drink, or you could regret it later.
Try to enjoy the waiting
It can be difficult for both children and adults to not become frustrated when waiting for a flight, especially if you’ve got two hours to go before you board. Plan ahead. Bring plenty of magazines, puzzle books and toys for your children to play with. Having their favourite programmes downloaded to a tablet or a phone can help keep them occupied. Snacks can be a good idea and you are allowed to bring sandwiches, crisps, biscuits etc. through security, so you don’t necessarily have to buy food from the shops and food outlets in the lounge area.
If you’re travelling child-free, why not spend some time reading a book or catching up on some programmes you’ve downloaded? Try to resist checking the time every five minutes as this can make time drag.
Get active
Sitting down while you wait for your flight is one option, but it isn’t the only one. You could try to get your heart rate up and get in some steps. You could avoid any lifts or conveyor belts and instead take the stairs or walk unaided? Some airports have lounges that are circular, so you could even do laps if you wanted and there might be the option to visit a yoga room, depending on your airport.
See what facilities are available
Some airports also have quiet rooms, massage chairs and sleep pods that you can use to help you relax. Why not set aside half an hour to enjoy some ‘me time?’ Even if the airport you’re departing from doesn’t have these facilities, you could always go for a quiet walk on your own to explore away from the crowds.
Make sure your suitcases stand out
To help you find your suitcases quickly on the conveyor belt, and prevent someone else mistakenly taking one of yours, you need to think creatively. Whether you tie ribbons to them, use colourful luggage belts or let your children cover them in stickers, make them stand out from the crowd.
Fit a luggage tracker to your suitcase
If one of your suitcases goes walkabouts, having a luggage tracker fitted to it can help ensure that it doesn’t go missing forever. Using an app, you’ll be able to locate your belongings wherever they are in the world, as long as there is mobile network coverage. You may have to pay a one-off fee and roaming charges, depending on the luggage tracker you choose.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our top 10 ways to avoid stress and will be able to use some of them next time you go away.
