There are so many articles already on the internet about how to reduce holiday stress, we know that it would take a library to house all of the truly great suggestions from resources like The Huffington Post’s Travel Stress article or this one from Project ACT: Top 20 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress. But we wanted to create a simple “Top 10” list of things we have learned about reducing holiday stress from the many travelers we have taken to or picked up from the airport during the holidays over the years:
- Choose a great Car Service that will monitor your flights and make sure you have transportation when you need it and where you need it.
- Make a checklist of all of the important items to double check you have packed before you close the last suitcase. Some our team came up with are:
- Medications
- Personal care items (toothbrush, deodorant)
- Passport
- Travel vouchers/tickets
- Cash and credit cards (it’s always good to be sure you have some smaller bills for tipping the bellhop)
- Sunscreen or an umbrella, depending on your destination
- Sandals or snow boots (again, depending on the destination)
- Electronics and their power sources/chargers
- Take advantage of the internet. Use online check in services and electronic tickets that you can store on your phone – no printers required!
- Read the travel guidelines that the TSA posts as well as the ones that your individual airline posts (each airline has slightly different restrictions for things like carry-ons and checked baggage, for example).
- Remember that it’s only a few days in a lifetime. Don’t let (insert the person that makes you go crazy here) get the best of you. It’s OK to step away to catch your breath.
- Enjoy the food and drinks, but not too much.
- Take time to rest. Being well rested can make everything seem a lot less challenging.
- Remember that others are feeling stressed too. Be patient. Find the humor in the situation!
- Schedule realistically – give yourself / group time to get from place to place, plan for the unexpected.
- Try to get some fresh air every day!
And by the way… we’re offering $10.00 off on our airport transportation on November 26th, 27th and 28th 2015. Use promo code: thanksgiving15