A panic attack in Tokyo made me confront my post-pandemic travel anxiety

A psychologist explains how such fears begin and the steps that can be taken to ease their hold over us

Andre Neveling recently suffered a panic attack while on holiday, prompting him to address his travel anxiety since the pandemic. Photo: Andre Neveling

Earlier this year, I found myself sobbing uncontrollably in a hotel lobby in Yokohama during my first trip to Japan. I was having a full-blown panic attack after checkout, utterly paralysed at the thought of navigating a train to Tokyo. As a seasoned traveller with more than 40 countries under my belt, I was a stranger to myself. How did I get here?

I’ve since learnt I’m not alone. Studies conducted by the American Psychological Association found 64 per cent of travellers are now experiencing pre-trip anxiety compared to 36 per cent pre-pandemic, highlighting a huge shift in the psychological landscape of travel.

Before the pandemic, I was living in Dubai, exploring the world, often alone, focused on seeing as many new places as I could. My life of exploration came to a halt in March 2020, when I relocated from the UAE to Hong Kong, arriving only four days before one of the world’s strictest lockdowns that lasted about three years.

For most of it, I slept in my tiny shoebox apartment, my mental health in shambles, feeling trapped and dreaming of my former global adventures. So, when the borders eventually opened and I was finally free, why was I frozen in panic when I found myself in new destinations like Japan?

Enter travel anxiety: once a niche fear that now affects millions in a post-pandemic world.

What is travel anxiety?

According to psychologist and life coach Anne Jackson, who lives in the UAE, travel anxiety varies for each individual, and it’s essential to understand the core of anxiety first. “We have to go back to the basics – anxiety is essentially worry, and worry is a fear of the future,” she explains. “A certain amount of worry is actually normal and helpful. But when you start to feel concerned about everything, all day long, that’s what we call generalised anxiety.”

For some, navigating airports can be a source of anxiety. Photo: Unsplash

Once worry and anxiety reaches this stage, it means the sufferer is experiencing a "deep fear of the future". Jackson adds: "You might not even be able to pinpoint what you’re worried about. When this becomes overwhelming, it can lead to panic attacks".

Panic attacks are an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that can come on very quickly. Physiological symptoms include a rapid heart rate, chest pain, overwhelming emotions, shortness of breath and often sweating or trembling. They typically last between 10 to 15 minutes, but can last up to an hour in some cases.

Understanding my own anxiety trigger

I first noticed the change when I found myself wanting to return to my native South Africa to be with family and to Dubai to be with friends, rather than jetting off to new bucket-list destinations like I used to. “The pandemic really shifted our priorities,” says Jackson. “Many of us were separated from loved ones, and that experience highlighted what truly matters: our family and friends. As a result, people are placing a higher value on personal connections.”

While quality time with loved ones is all good and well, it still doesn’t heal those with a broken spirit of adventure. But there’s hope. “One of the most effective strategies is to challenge your fear with facts,” says Jackson. “Carefully define the evidence that shows your anxiety isn't grounded in present reality by consistently confronting the fear with truth to dismantle it at its core.”

After Covid, some people have developed anxiety around busy crowds. Getty Images

Fortunately for me, Jackson is quickly able to pinpoint the core of my problem. “It’s a pattern I’ve seen in many people since Covid. In your case, you landed in a new country and were immediately shut down, so your trip was essentially cancelled upon arrival.”

“Now, your unconscious brain has made a powerful connection: travelling somewhere new means I could get shut down again. Even though you know, consciously, that the world has changed, a deeper part of your mind is sounding the alarm. For people like you, the anxiety isn't about the travel itself, but about the fear of losing control and security.”

Different types of anxious travellers

While I am fortunate enough to know when my fear started, millions of people have lived with travel anxiety long before the pandemic. For them, Jackson believes the root of their fear can often be traced back to a single, early experience, sometimes even from childhood.

“Perhaps you were four years old and were charged by an elephant, so now your unconscious mind connects travel with that startling event,” says Jackson. “Maybe you were six and experienced turbulence on a plane, but what truly scared you wasn't the shaking – it was seeing the sheer panic on the face of the adult next to you. In that case, your brain linked the feeling of fear with being on an aeroplane.”

However, for people whose travel anxiety is caused by health concerns, the root of the problem is usually deeper. “The fear around health and sickness is often more complex,” says Jackson. “While the pandemic certainly heightened these anxieties, the root cause often goes deeper. To truly address it, we need to look individually at where the fear of becoming unwell originated.”

How to tackle your flight or flight

According to Jackson, there are strategies to relieve and rewire thoughts of travel anxiety. “One of the most effective ways is to start small with a manageable trip – perhaps a staycation for a night or a six-hour drive,” says Jackson. “The distance isn't what's important – it's about taking a step that feels outside your comfort zone.”

For those with dreaded in-flight anxiety, the key is to create a personal comfort zone. “Before your flight, download your favourite podcast or that beloved film you’ve seen a hundred times,” Jackson explains. “By engaging with content that brings you joy and comfort, your brain will start to link the aeroplane ride with the good feelings from the film, slowly easing the fear over time and creating a new, positive association.”

Jackson suggests some practical steps to minimise fear when flying. Getty Images

Jackson is also a strong believer in creating a physical list to keep in your pocket. “The simple act of writing gives you a tangible, permanent record to hold onto for those moments when your brain starts to spiral,” she says. “Write down all the places you’ve successfully travelled to and all the positive experiences you’ve had.

“This collects concrete evidence for your brain, countering its fear that something bad will happen. You can’t just think of the good times – you have to force your eyes to read the proof to retrain your brain with evidence. That’s why the physical list is so important.”

Of course, everyone is different, and some are crippled with extreme anxiety that affects their lives well beyond just travel. “Prescribed medication can be a very helpful short-term tool, especially if anxiety is severely impacting daily life,” says Jackson. “It can lower the intensity to a point where you can begin to do the important work of healing.”

Fortunately, for those of us who want our sense of adventure back, there’s hope. “The goal isn't for people to just manage these anxieties indefinitely,” says Jackson. “I truly believe we can resolve the root causes and get rid of the anxiety itself. You don't just have to live with it – you can be free from it.”