Zen Tip #5 - How to Avoid Holiday Travel Stress

Do you love the holidays but dread the traveling? If you have to travel during the holidays, it can be very stressful, but it doesn't have to be. With the holidays quickly approaching just the thought of traveling can be intimidating.

One of the best things you can do to avoid stress while traveling is to prepare ahead of time. Since there is really no way to avoid long lines and hoards of people, preparing ahead can really be helpful. If you can't beat them, you can at least have a more carefree attitude as you join them. If you are prepared for lots of traffic and long lines and possible travel or flight delays, you will feel much better about passing the time. Wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to sit around if you are flying. If you are driving somewhere, a book on tape is a great way to pass the time. Make sure and pick something interesting enough to hold your attention like a good mystery, and the traffic won't bother you as much.

In the long run, getting aggravated only hurts one person - you. You can speed up the process if you are flying by checking in and printing out your boarding pass before arriving at the airport. Many airlines now allow you to check in 24 hours ahead of time by logging into their website. If you don't like doing this, you can also try using the kiosks at the airport so you don't have to stand in such a long line. Make sure and double check your flight before you leave home to ensure everything is still on schedule.

Eating before you get to the airport is another good tip, because as everyone knows airport food can be expensive. If you are traveling with little ones, make sure and bring plenty of snacks and entertainment - because kids obviously get bored quickly. Keep in mind that all of your packed food has to go through the x-ray scanner and that you can't bring unwrapped food into the airport terminal beyond security check points.

Getting someone to drop you off is also a time saver and a money saver since you won't have to hassle with parking your car. It's also a good idea to bring along enough entertainment so you won’t get bored, and remember that cell phone batteries only last so long, so it's a good idea to bring another form of entertainment beyond your phone.

If you are traveling by car and going through big cities, it's best to avoid peak traffic times if you can. You can do this by thinking through your driving schedule and either leaving earlier than normal or later than normal. You could even consider driving at night if you feel like you could stay awake during those early morning hours.

If you are driving and really get stressed out - sometimes it's good to stop and take a break, even if it means the drive will take a little longer. Stopping for a meal or a nice cup of gourmet coffee is a nice way to take 5, and stretch your legs. It's better to be safer than to try and rush and be the first one there to obtain bragging rights.

Most of all try and enjoy the ride because life is about the journey, not the destination