How to Travel with Depression: Psychologist Outlines the Keys

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It’s a bit cliché to compare an emotional concern like depression to having extra “baggage”.  Still, it’s hard to argue that for many, traveling with depression can indeed be like taking an extra heavy carry-on bag.  

Unlike other carry-on bags however, the depression cannot be set down.  It doesn’t rest comfortably below your airplane seat or stow away to be pulled out again at a time of your choosing.  It’s heavy, burdensome, and you’re not even sure why you brought it with you.

Does any of this sound familiar to you?  Does your depression come along with you when you travel?  Let’s explore this topic to find out what can be done to lighten the load when traveling with depression.

Depression and Travel

Before we begin, as with any discussion about the topic of depression, it’s important to note that if you are experiencing severe depression or any suicidal thoughts, please contact your mental health provider or a suicide hotline (in the U.S., can dial 9-8-8 for the National Suicide Hotline).

Now, it’s important to understand that if you’re traveling with depression, you’re already ahead of some others.  Many struggle to muster the energy and action it takes to engage in traveling due to their depression.  So, if you find yourself starting off with any travel, that’s already an accomplishment worth noting.  

It may feel easy to dismiss the accomplishment of traveling, particularly when you are feeling depressed. One symptom of depression is called “anhedonia”, which is when you experience less interest or enjoyment in activities you typically would enjoy doing. So, if you’re traveling it means that you are pressing through this symptom of depression and engaging in activity that might help you improve your mood.

So again, you deserve some credit if you’re traveling with depression. If you’re not quite there yet, not able to travel or feeling so down that it’s hard to take steps to travel, know that you’re not alone. The more you’re able to manage and treat the depression, the more likely you will be to re-develop the appeal to go traveling.

Travel and Your Depressed Thoughts

Sometimes people with depression tend to have “cognitive distortions”, a fancy term meaning patterns of thinking that are not quite accurate and are often unhelpful.

There are quite a few types of cognitive distortions, but for this piece we’re going to focus on a distortion called All-or-Nothing Thinking.  Basically, All-or-Nothing Thinking is a pattern of thoughts in which a person tends to view situations in absolute terms with no gray area.  

• That trip was a total failure!
• Either I go right on time or I can’t go at all!
• If I can’t afford to explore the world, there’s no point in exploring locally. 
• Going with those people would make that trip worthless!
• I’m feeling depressed so traveling could never be enjoyable.
• I’ll never be able to travel!
• Only bad things can happen when I travel.

When traveling with depression, first think about your mental health packing list. Be intentional about leaving those cognitive distortions back at home.

Okay, well that might be a bit oversimplified, as cognitive distortions are usually long-held patterns of thinking that don’t go away with the snap of your fingers. It takes work and dedication, but you can make efforts to reduce the frequency and impact of those unhelpful thoughts when traveling.

Dealing with Cognitive Distortions in Travel

One way to accomplish this is by simply becoming aware of the inaccurate nature of those thought patterns. Are there any other ways to look at the situation? What advice would a trusted friend tell you in this moment? Is there any evidence that contradicts your initial unhelpful thought?

For example, would going with a certain group of people really make the trip completely worthless, or would certain parts simply be more challenging than if you were going alone? Is it possible to still enjoy the scenery, culture, dining, and other special aspects of a vacation?

Think about how to give yourself perspective. If this is hard, ask a friend to help. Or, ask yourself “if I wasn’t feeling depressed, would I thinking about this problem in the same negative way?” You might be surprised at the amount of insight you can generate for yourself by considering alternative viewpoints. When you do, you are likely to feel less distressed and potentially less depressed.

Behavioral Activation

Another recommended strategy for traveling with depression is called Behavioral Activation. Just as the name implies, sometimes you have to do enjoyable actions that lead you to feel emotionally better rather than waiting to feel emotionally better and then doing enjoyable actions.

Read that again. You can push yourself to do pleasurable things to help you feel better instead of waiting to do those things once you feel better.

This can be easier said than done, as oftentimes when you feel depressed you may not want to do those pleasurable things you normally enjoyed doing. It’s easier to pull the cover over your head and stay in bed than to face the day. Admittedly, it’s a hard place to be.

However, when you stay in bed all day you miss out on all those potential experiences that remind you that you’re capable of having positive experiences.

Bibliotherapy & Journaling

Bibliotherapy is another one of those fancy terms that has a rather simple meaning. Essentially, bibliotherapy refers to the use of books and reading to help provide emotional relief. The reading is meant to be soothing in some way, and can include anything from fiction novels to self-help books.

Rather than random reading, it’s typically used in a structured way to help focus on a particular topic area or area of concern. For example, reading self-help books about relaxation are part of an effort to develop the ability to reduce anxiety. A good example of thought-provoking stories can be found in the book High and Low: Hiking Away from Depression.

Also, journaling is a fantastic method to help organize your thoughts, help outline your daily events, and provide a space for emotional expression. Some people think of it like venting to friends, but without the need to include others or feel like you may “burden” friends with your concerns. Journaling ranges from keeping track of your daily schedule all the way time-intensive efforts to write out thoughts and opinions. To get started, try this 120-Day Anxiety Journal, which also includes rating scales to help track your progress with anxiety management!

Find the type of book you’d like to read and plan ahead, including downloading the books ahead of time in case you’re traveling to area with no Wifi. Also, consider getting a therapeutic journal to help support your journaling while on vacation. Some, like Worry for Nothing offers prompts to help get you started, which can really help when you’re new to journaling. There are even books and journals made just for kids.

You Can Travel With Depression

As you can see, it IS possible to travel with depression. In fact, as we know about the mental health benefits of travel, it’s entirely possible that depression symptoms can be improved when engaging in enjoyable activities like travel. This doesn’t mean it’s always easy, and in fact may take some initial effort on your part to even start the process of planning a trip.

Try to recognize when your thoughts may not reflect a totally accurate picture, as you may be seeing the world through darkened sunglasses that filter how you perceive things when depressed. Use the tools that have been demonstrated through research to be effective.

These “tools” include behavioral activation, bibliotherapy, and journaling as described in this article. There are others as well, including counseling and/or medications if recommended by your doctor. Check out resources from the American Psychological Association for more.

Now, set down your depression “baggage”, or at least lighten the load. You can travel with depression.

For more, sign up for the free Psychology of Travel Newsletter. Comment below with other tips for your fellow travelers!

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Happy Travels,

Dr. L
Founder, PsychologyofTravel.com

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