Once upon a time, I had travel anxiety. It was so bad that I avoided many opportunities to travel and created excuses as to why I couldn’t go. I even had a prescription for anxiety, especially when I traveled. I think the breaking point for me was the day I was on a plane, and the gentleman sitting behind me across the aisle said, “Wow, you don’t like traveling, do you?” I grabbed the rest arm so tight that my hand had lost all color. He said something profound as we exited: “I love being up in the air because no one can bother me, and I find time just to be.” I was so fixated on his words that it became an obsession with how I, too, could love flying.

When I started to look into my flying anxiety, I quickly learned that I have always had anxiety. My earliest memory of that was kindergarten. By looking back and looking to my past, I could see where it has shown up in my life and how I have brought it along through different aspects of my life.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until later in my life that I was able to do some shadow work and implement tips to help me recognize when anxiety is tapping me on my shoulder and how to defuse it quickly.

The help I received mainly came from me doing the work, my husband, who has the most carefree, I don’t give a shit attitude I have ever seen, and the incredibly gifted holistic women of Women Empowering Women.

We all respond differently to life, have different experiences, and have different goals. But we are all born human beings filled with love and laughter.

I would love to share a few tips I have learned, hoping they might help someone reading this blog.

As soon as I recognize that anxiety is setting in, I immediately go into gratitude. I Thank God and the universe for the people, places, and things in my life. I think about the things that bring me joy, like my grandkids, my dog Bailey, or nature.

Once the anxiety has passed, I will then look at why I have this anxiety, and generally, for me, it is because I am overwhelmed and tired or I am not doing one of the following things: working out, not eating, or drinking healthy. I am not taking care of my mental health, which means reading, creating art, sleeping, and laughing.

I am a go-getter at heart, and I will always be, but it is important to me to make sure that I am putting myself first, taking care of my health, doing the things I love, spending time with the people I love, and traveling with my husband.

You will be able to read monthly wrap ups for both The Cozy & Charming Traveler as well as my Doreen Dilger site. The blogs going forward are going to be quick inspirational photos with a simple description. I hope you will check back at the end of each month to see our monthly wrap ups!

Thanks for being here.