How To Survive Being An Introvert At The Airport, Train Station or Bus Depot
Travel is a necessary evil these days: families are often spread across the country, healthcare might be better in a city, state, or even country away from you, or perhaps you have finally decided to take that long-needed vacation. Whatever the reason for your travel might be, the truth is that it's always a nightmare for introverts, as it means huge groups of lots of different kinds of people that are complete strangers.
While there is no way to make travel a completely stress free experience for any introvert, here are some tips that can lessen the degree of anxiety you feel on travel day!
Arrive Early
This may sound counterintuitive, as arriving early will elongate the time spent in the very place you detest. However, if you arrive to find a huge line at security and are rushing to try and get to your gate on time, dealing with large groups of strangers will only be that much worse on your mental state.
Simply put: Arrive early. Research the day's average time to get through security, check a map ahead of time to see how long it will take to get from security to your gate, and check-in online ahead of time so you can avoid the customer service desk.
Have Noise Canceling Headphones
This beautiful invention is mentioned in almost all of our blog posts, and there is a reason why: noise canceling headphones are probably the best thing ever made for introverts, period. This cannot be demonstrated any better than at a busy travel place such as an airport or train station, and here is why:
- The obvious: noise canceling headphones filter and block noise to a degree, allowing introverts the quiet they crave. Even better, you can play whatever you would like on them, which can 100% block the noise around you.
- Large headphones are a deterrent for social interaction. When people see someone with very obvious headphones on, they very often make the assumption that they cannot hear anything around them, and they tend to leave that person alone.
- Noise canceling headphones can help you forget where you are. When you have cut down all the noise around you and you are listening to a podcast, music album, or watching some episodes of your favorite TV show, it becomes easy to forget the unpleasant situation you are in. Many people are even able to sleep during travel for this very reason.
Utilize Members-Only Lounges
Okay, obviously these are not free, so skip past this one if you don't want to pay for anything beyond your ticket.
Many companies will offer their own private lounges if you are a member of their clubs, own their company credit card, or travel with them frequently. These lounges, while open to everyone who is allowed access, are much less noisy and have a lot less people than other areas of the airport or train station. On top of this, they often will have comfortable seating, electronics recharge stations, and food and drink. If you are able to gain access to these lounges, definitely take advantage of it because it will decrease your stress tremendously.
Utilize JabbrrBox or SleepPods
While they do not give 100% privacy (as the doors are see-through to a degree), JabbrrBox is an amazing addition to some airports that seems tailor-made for introverts. While they were originally built for business people to take video calls while stuck at the airport, they are a self contained pod with a comfortable bench, digital screen, adjustable lighting controls, and near silence on the inside. You reserve one from their mobile app and pay by the hour. While they are not free, just being able to get one sweet hour of solitude and quiet is beyond worth the price.
The other highly recommended service is sleeping pods. These are hard to find, especially in the United States, but some very large airports such as Atlanta, Dallas Fort Worth, Charlotte North Carolina, Detrot, JFK International, LAX, Philadelphia, and Washington DC have them. They range from large lounge chairs that recline with privacy screens to full suites with bathrooms that you can rent by the hour. If you are on a flight with a long layover or if your flight gets delayed, definitely spring for one of these if they are available in your airport.
Take A Walk
This sounds simplistic, but if you have time to kill, walk around the terminal! There are gift shops, excellent views from windows, and often times art or museum exhibits about the local area within the airport or train station. Exercise releases endorphins, and you will be sitting for quite a while during travel, so take a stroll!
Find A Secluded Spot
This one takes some planning ahead, but it is well worth it. Often times the gate or platform you will need to board from will be very crowded, and even all the ones around it might be also. Walk around and find the areas of the airport or station that are not expecting flights anytime soon, and you will find rows and rows of seating where you can sit and enjoy some "me time."
The only caveat to this piece of advice is make sure you have text alerts or you are constantly checking on your flight. Sometimes you have to go relatively far from your departure point in the complex to find a less busy area, and you do not want to risk missing your flight or train because you were not around to hear an announcement.
Practice Mindfulness
This might sound patronizing considering what absolute hell travel can be for introverts, but it's worth pointing out that taking the time to be mindful can be incredibly helpful. A lot of people roll their eyes at sayings like "just take a few deep breaths," but there is incredible science behind the power of breathwork. If you are going to be stuck in an unpleasant situation for several hours, why not take that time to get in tune with your body and mind? Whether it is meditation or simply counting your breaths, you will be amazed how much easier it can make travel.
