Travel Tips for Sensitive Systems
One of the most profound parts of learning about myself as a highly sensitive person has been coming to understand that my brain needs different considerations….and that’s okay. I don’t need to travel the way someone else does. I don’t need to exhaust myself masking for the sake of neurotypical travel companions or expectations. I can do travel with sensitivity in mind. And it will be a whole lot more restorative.
My most recent vacation was my first time travelling since the pandemic began and the first time travelling with my toddler. The awareness that this could have been an overstimulating nightmare was front and centre for me. It wasn’t though. It wasn’t because of some of the planning I did beforehand and because I was open to paying attention to what I needed throughout the trip and lovingly honouring those needs.
So, here are some travel tips from one sensitive soul to another. Will they work for you? I hope so! Maybe. The truth is, I don’t know who is reading this and there’s a huge range of what highly sensitive folks may need when they travel. I don’t know your system. But you hopefully know your system and perhaps some of these might inspire you or be worth a try!
Before Your Trip (Planning, Preparing and Packing)
Consider what makes a trip restorative to you and plan accordingly. Does time in nature restore you? Do you want to experience the big sensations of a new city? Is connecting with a culture that is part of your history calling to you? Do you want the magical innocence and nostalgia of Disneyland? Any of those examples could be sensory heaven or a sensory nightmare for highly sensitive people. Really get in touch with what types of experiences are your ideal type of stimulation, your ideal atmosphere for fun. Plan a trip that will likely be fun for you based on who you are and what you need. Don’t plan a trip you think should be fun for you based on what other people might think is fun if you know it’s not for you.
Budget to meet your needs. This one is tricky and I hesitated writing it because I know how financially inaccessible travel can be to begin with. And I still include this because it is a real consideration that I believe can make a huge difference to your trip. Get real before you plan your trip on what your needs are to make this trip accessible. Maybe it’s your room. Maybe it’s access to outdoor space. Maybe it’s knowing you need private transportation compared to a shuttle from the airport. Budget for those things first. For example, I know that I need a lot of items with me when I travel- meaning I have to budget for multiple checked bags. There’s not a way for me to have what I need to be comfortable travelling and “pack light”. So I know budgeting for baggage is a reality for me. It’s worth it to me to put budget towards these types of things, and maybe cut budget from another part of my trip. Do I love that there’s a sensitivity tax essentially? Absolutely not. Do I think it’s a justice issue? 100%. Is it a reality that we need to navigate? Also yes.
Start a countdown. Here’s a fun one! Once your trip is booked, start a countdown! Or a vision board for your trip. Or a list of things you want to do. Or a meal plan. Whatever it is- see if you can make some space for excitement. Remember that high sensitivity is about experiencing deeply. Maybe that’s anxiety about the trip, but maybe it can be turned to experience excitement deeply too.
Do some research. If you have a system like mine, you like to know what to expect and the unknown can add a whole lot more overstimulation to your (potentially already overwhelming) travel day. Watching some vlogs, looking at maps and reading some reviews help to ground my system in what to expect.
Pack snacks. Did you know highly sensitive people tend to be more impacted by hunger? Yep. We actually are more prone to be “hangry”. Take matters into your own hands and bring some snacks that you can have available throughout your trip in case food plans don’t work out the way you expect at some point. Bonus points for comfort and familiar snacks to help orient your system.
At the Airport
If you couldn’t pack lightly, check as much luggage as possible at the airport (while keeping your emergency carry on). This one will cost you more but also free up your energy, hands and mental load of tracking items as you navigate the airport/security/boarding. Of course, keep a carry on with the essentials to also help your system know you have those in case of any luggage taking a different route than you do.
Wear layers and comfortable clothes. Is there anything worse than feeling your anxiety rise, trying to navigate an overwhelming space, feeling burnt out sensory wise and then….getting extremely hot? The worst. Wear layers of your favourite clothes so you can help your body to feel comfortable and soothed during travel day.
Arrive early. No need to add extra pressure to your system if something goes wrong or takes more time than you were expecting. Arrive early and give yourself buffer time to both get through the practical but also buffer time to regulate before going from airport to plane and facing another transition.
On the Trip
Plan for stimulation breaks. Highly sensitive systems process the world around us and our experiences more deeply- which also means we can get overwhelmed or overstimulated more easily. Knowing that stimulation is typically high in travel spaces (including just the amount of new information in a new environment), make a plan to take a break. For me, this looks like a mid-day rest and reset. For others, it might look like an entire rest day mid-trip. If it’s hard for you to conceptualize potentially “missing out” during this time, see if you can reframe it as investing in being able to be present and engaged in what you do have planned. Investment time.
Find a grounding routine. Routine can be immensely comforting for many highly sensitive people. Of course, our routine is going to look different when travelling. See if there may be a slice of routine that works for you. Maybe starting or ending your day the same way. Maybe saving some time for journalling or reflecting on the day’s experiences (independently or with a loved one).This could help your system to settle into a sense of safety and familiarity. No matter where I go, there will be a slow start to my day enjoying a cup of coffee.
Prioritize. Pick and choose what you do because trying to do it all is rarely the right fit for highly sensitive people. Since I take a mid-day stimulation break, I tend to think about my days when travelling as having two “slots” for adventures or activities (one in the morning, one in the afternoon/evening). If I still have energy for something extra, bonus! But I prioritize to make sure I’m not setting myself up for burnout.
While Your Trip Is Ending/After Your Trip
Allow for closing ritual or reflection of some kind. Transitions (of any kind) tend to take extra time for highly sensitive people to process and move through. Ending a vacation is no exception! Often there are lots of emotions, memories and shifts in environment that accompany getting home from travelling and it makes sense for deep feelers and deep thinkers to struggle with these. See if you can help orient your system to the trip ending through some kind of closing ritual or reflection. I love to organize photos from the trip and display my favourites in some way as a way to mark its end and allow myself space to revisit and process the trip itself.
Ease your way back into work in some way. In the spirit of transitions being hard, I find it helpful to ease my way back into work slowly. This feels less jarring and like less of a sudden shift in focus and energy for my system. Some ways I have done this is picking up an inspiring work-related book to start on the last few days of my trip, blocking off time my first day back to read emails and feel grounded in updates, planning a long lunch my first week back or planning to have creative time (brainstorming, writing, project planning) before getting back into the day-to-day. Many highly sensitive people are drawn to careers with meaning and purpose for them. So try to partner with that excited energy and passion in some way to get you back into your regular routine.
Cry if you need to. Let those tears flow! See if you can foster some compassion towards all the parts of you struggling with vacation ending or feeling deeply about the trip you just had the opportunity to experience. See if you can find some space to let your emotions be whatever they are. To notice what’s coming up and to offer compassion and validation for the ways that your sensitive heart may need to process a special time coming to a close.
One of the most beautiful parts of high sensitivity to me is the ability to deeply appreciate beauty- and have this sense of “awe” for the world. Despite coming with its unique challenges and barriers for HSPs, this isn’t without travel also coming with its distinct impact. Wishing you the most meaningful of travel experiences, Sensitive Souls!
