Travel Stress and Culture Shock

Stress and Anxiety

Travel should be a pleasure. To keep it that way, it’s best to ensure everything goes smoothly, including on a psychological level.

Knowing Where You're Going

The first obvious step for a successful trip is knowing where you’re setting foot and what challenges (of all kinds) you might face.

Getting to "know" a country a little before you go—its customs and traditions—will reduce any fears you might have once there. It also helps avoid pre-departure stress, which for some is made worse by a fear of flying. That’s why it’s important, in any case, to choose your destinations carefully.

Determining Your Desires and Knowing Your Limits

In short, clearly define your desires (and even your means) and accept your limits—you’re not there to prove anything to the world. Because as obvious as this may seem, how many travellers have returned disillusioned from a trip simply because they "chose the wrong destination" and set off for something too challenging for them?

Like everything else, travelling is a learning process. So rather than heading off alone for a year on the other side of the world, isn’t it better to test yourself first in nearby countries and for shorter durations—especially if you’ve never left Europe for more than three weeks or always travelled with a tour group?

Habits and Perceptions

Habits and perceptions: two elements that fuel culture shock.

When travelling, especially for a long time, you change your habits, gradually lose your bearings, and some cultures are so different from ours. So take it slowly in your travels without trying to systematically see and understand things in a Western way. Put things into perspective, distance yourself if necessary, and in very poor countries, avoid unnecessary pity—you won’t change the world, so if you want to help, stay and do so.

As for negative perceptions while travelling, they first depend on the usual benchmarks we carry within us. Extraordinary or completely unknown things will be easier to accept because we have no point of comparison, whereas transport, accommodation comfort, or waiting times will automatically be compared (even unconsciously) to what we know or experience at home. In short, a meal waited for an hour or a downpour caught in a vehicle will be harder to take than crossing a flooded river soaked to the skin. The downside is that as long as you don’t forget these benchmarks (and many others, especially on a relational level), it’s impossible to travel well in difficult countries or those with different cultures and traditions.

Stress and Anxiety

A bad pace can eventually lead to stress. But finding yourself in certain places at a given moment in your trip can have the same effect. Whether you’re overwhelmed by the local culture (India is a classic example), the pace of life (big megacities or, conversely, "deep countryside"), the "too many people" (heavily touristed areas or again, India in another way), latent tensions (countries in crisis), or even the environment (the desert). Not to mention that all this can be compounded by personal issues, including those specific to travellers (budget problems, tensions between travel companions, etc.). This means that on many occasions, a traveller may see their stress levels rise significantly.

Starting Point for Solutions

To reduce stress or even anxiety that you might feel while travelling, adapt your pace to your state of mind. And too bad if the schedule you set for yourself isn’t followed. Here again, it can be useful not to always react in a Western way, especially when it comes to schedules and comfort. Once more, put things into perspective and try to see them positively—after all, you’re on holiday. And for those who travel solo, if the weight of solitude adds to the "culture shock," look for travel companions along the way.

But as long as the stress remains occasional or short-lived, there’s little to worry about. After analysing the causes, taking a break, contacting loved ones, finding a nice spot, a good restaurant, or hotel will most often set things right.

However, in cases of prolonged stress, it’s better to act quickly and, if necessary, even move on to another stage of your trip. In short, draw a line under that bad moment and move on.

Staying in Touch

One last thing that often makes travelling easier: staying in touch with loved ones. Thanks to the internet and new technologies, it’s now very simple and affordable to stay in touch with family or friends, even on the other side of the world. So take advantage of it—but don’t feel obliged to have daily contact just because it’s easy and cheap...

Long Trips

Finally, for long trips or between challenges, plan a few days’ stopover in places you find nice. And don’t hesitate to treat yourself to a good restaurant or a great hotel. Even if you feel like you’re doing nothing or wasting money, you’ll at least recharge your batteries and continue the rest of your trip on a good note.

For an inexperienced traveller or at the start of a journey, it’s often better to keep things simple. Also, it’s not necessarily wise to string together too many difficult countries, or even just so-called Third World countries, for too long. Beyond creating a contrast that will make you appreciate each one in turn, it’s especially in case of health problems, fatigue, or simply a prolonged "blues" that you’ll benefit from stopping in more "Westernised" countries. Regaining your bearings in a way and benefiting from better infrastructure will always help you recharge your batteries. Moreover, it will also be more convenient if you plan to have family or friends join you along the way.

One last piece of advice: don’t play the hero—avoid risky countries or regions at all costs...

Boredom and Tensions

Boredom

While the novelty of places or people you meet, as well as the practical aspects of travel, can be sources of problems, it’s often forgotten that boredom or tensions between travelling companions are the main sources of discomfort and stress, especially on long-term trips. Even if this mainly concerns those travelling alone, you can just as easily get bored in a group.

Alone

Travelling solo isn’t necessarily a problem—it all depends on your personality and what you’re looking for or expecting from your journey.

Many people in this situation never get bored while travelling, even if the trip lasts several months. And it’s true that opportunities to meet other travellers as well as locals are plentiful along the way. You just need to want to seize them and dare to approach others without asking too many (false) questions like "how will I approach them?" And if you’re really bored (or having a temporary "blues" moment), don’t hesitate to say you’re fed up with travelling or being alone. Refusals will be rare, and you’ll spend a moment or even travel part of the way with others.

Alongside boredom, we could also mention a form of "frustration" that can appear in some travellers (generally older ones who have already travelled a lot). After living their travels alone or simply with people they’ve met along the way, a feeling of frustration can set in over time, with the impression of having seen and experienced many things that ultimately can’t be shared with any of their loved ones.

With Others

Often, in reality, it’s not really boredom per se, but rather more or less latent problems within the duo or group of travellers. Over time, this can lead to tensions.

That said, if it’s truly boredom, it’s often linked to an (unshared) activity with others (a classic example being beach stays). In this case, the simplest solution is to discuss it and either move on to something else or somewhere else, or use this time for something more personal (and meet up later). As long as the situation isn’t too repetitive or finds good compromises, there’s no real problem.

Tensions and Problems

Quite logically, especially when the trip lasts a long time, tensions or more or less temporary problems can arise between travellers. And this applies whether the people knew each other before leaving or met for the occasion.

As for the causes, they can be very varied. Among them: differences in financial means, desires, pace, or perception of things, different levels of involvement in the trip and its management, relational (or even romantic) problems, etc. In short, many reasons, both material and personal... some of which could have been avoided well before departure.

Some Advice

Whether you know each other before leaving or not, it’s still best to travel with people who are somewhat similar to you in terms of approach and travel style.

For long trips (in particular), it’s better if everyone participates in planning the project, the itinerary, and the things to do or see to reach a consensus, including on a financial level. And if differences remain, it’s best to discuss them beforehand to agree on how things will go later. That’s why, if you’ve searched for a travel companion, it’s a good idea to meet and get to know each other a little before departure.

On the road, it’s also preferable to discuss things if you feel the relationships starting to deteriorate. Trying to find the causes and envision solutions will always be better than operating on "what’s left unsaid." Sometimes simply taking a little distance, having moments to yourself—even for a few days (even if you’re in a couple)—or, conversely, expanding the "group" temporarily to include other people (travellers or locals) to reduce "one-on-one" time are all ideas to explore. And if things become too complicated, it’s better to separate for a while or for the rest of the trip.

But in any case, don’t forget that if you want things to work, as always, it’s up to each person to put in the effort...