6. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol
Coffee and alcohol are common travel fare, but both can actually worsen anxiety.
Since alcohol is a sedative, many people have a drink or two to quickly ease their nerves. But its other effects on the body are counterproductive for anxiety relief. “It disrupts sleep, which is already challenging during plane flights, leads to dehydration, which mimics physical stress, and there’s a rebound anxiety effect when it wears off that can leave travelers more stressed than they were initially,” Doshi says.
The reason is tied to how alcohol affects brain chemistry. Alcohol boosts levels of a calming brain chemical known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), helping you relax. It also suppresses glutamate, a brain chemical that helps keep you alert. When the alcohol wears off and your body works to rebalance these two chemicals, feelings of alertness return, which can trigger stress and anxiety. In fact, you may experience a rebound effect, such that stress and anxiety are more intense than before consuming alcohol.
Meanwhile, caffeine is a stimulant that mimics the physical symptoms of anxiety, Doshi says. Think: racing heart, jitters, and restlessness. “For an already anxious traveler, caffeine can produce sensations that trick the brain into thinking it is experiencing a panic attack,” Doshi says.
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