6 Ways to cope with travel burnout

While “burnout” is a term frequently used concerning a job or school, it may also affect travelers. I can imagine what you’re thinking. 

“Travel? The thing we indulge in to unwind and get away from work.” 

Travel burnout may affect you far more quickly than most people realize. Therefore, it’s a reasonable question.

Take a moment to envision yourself embarking on your long-awaited dream adventure. Everything was meticulously prepared, including the well-balanced itinerary, the cozy and conveniently situated lodging, the highly-rated cafes, and the Instagram photos that would make your friends envious.

You take the vacation, and it’s fantastic. 

Suddenly, your drive to wander wanes.

You feel worn out, agitated, and irritated.

You become irritated and upset by local quirks that you formerly thought endearing.

You suddenly feel the need to spend the entire day in your room.

Those are symptoms of travel burnout.

woman having a travel burnout

Why Aren’t Travel Burnout Topics on Blogging Sites?

Why did travel tiredness catch me off guard if it’s so prevalent?

1) Very few people are capable of taking extended trips throughout the globe. As a result, there aren’t many people who can warn you.

2) Whining about excessive travel is akin to complaining about exorbitant privilege. Therefore, even if an individual has experienced it, they could feel bad about it just as I did.

3. Discussing the drawbacks of your pursuits, which may involve travel, is considered a bad form. People seldom ever post about the bad aspects of their lives.

4) Influencers and social media have exaggerated how dreamy and wonderful traveling is by ignoring the mistakes and disasters that can occur on every trip.

I was perplexed, and a bit embarrassed when travel burnout struck me. I had put a lot of effort into being able to embark on my ideal adventure, so feeling exhausted or wanting to quit seemed like failure.

sad woman on the beach

How to Prevent or Address Travel Burnout

  1. Take it easy. Instead of running around many locations again, take your time and enjoy each one. In our culture of rapid gratification, we occasionally neglect to take our time and cherish a few things rather than rushing through everything. Allow at least a week in destination if you’re on an extended trip.
  2. Plant temporary roots. Suppose a slower pace is unsuitable. Then, stop, at least for a while. Spend some time getting accustomed to being stationary in one area for a few weeks. Return to a beloved city or town and establish roots there. Establish a routine and take some time to recuperate.
  3. Alter your course. If you’ve been traveling with others, consider exploring on your own. If you’ve been alone for too long, consider forming a group. Get a private room if you’ve been staying in backpacking hostels for too long. And if you have spent too much time in the same area, it could be time to explore an entirely new culture and environment.
  4. Look for the ideal destination. Some places are better than others at promoting the general welfare. As you travel, having to continuously check your back, meals, taking medications, etc., might impact your sense of well-being and security. Think about going somewhere that could help you feel less stressed.
  5. Find support. Zooming with your family and friends back home is an excellent way to lift your spirit. As a nomadic traveler, it could assist you in developing your support network. You can also form or join groups with other long-term travelers or expats to exchange travel experiences and challenges.
  6. Head back home. If none of those options are successful, perhaps it’s time to return home. Always keep in mind that home is only a flight away. You may always travel again. Your mental health comes first.

Travel burnout may affect people in different ways and at different periods. Anyone may get worn out by frequently socializing with other people and exploring their cuisines, cultures, and attractions, especially if you’ve followed a consistent pattern for most of your life. If you experience the trip blues, remember to be thankful, acknowledge that your emotions are real, and make a change.

5 responses to “6 Ways to cope with travel burnout”

  1. I did not know about travel burnout before. Although I don’t travel a lot, I can understand it can be exhausting sometimes. I hope your recover soon!

    Like

  2. Great tips.. We normally take a couple of small vacations (3 – 4 days) each year along with at least one vacation that is longer than a week or so (sometimes this one might be a visit back to India which tends to be longer).. And our best way to avoid burnout is your first tip … doing things slowly and enjoying each place.. and not worrying if we miss some ‘must-see’ spots..

    Like

  3. I find travel exhausting. We love doing it but it is tiring so I get this totally.

    Like

  4. Excellent article and a subject that u haven’t read about before. One of the reasons to the travel burnout could be that professional setting might be too stressful and we never got into the travel mode and switched our professional life off.
    This has happened in my case.

    Like

  5. […] there’s always the possibility of suffering from travel burnout. As discussed in a previous post on 6 Ways to Cope with Travel Burnout, it’s important to take it easy and find support as burning out isn’t necessarily a sign of […]

    Like

Share your thoughts. I would love to hear them!

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Start a Blog at WordPress.com.

%d bloggers like this: