Sometimes, people ask me about slow travel and don’t really “get it”. And that’s fair! Not everyone travels with anxiety, and some people are able to moderate their pace while travelling so that they don’t fall into traps of rushing, feeling overwhelmed, or jumping from activity to activity in a way that detracts from the experience.
If you can see yourself in these habits, it’s worth asking if it would help to slow down while travelling. The telltale signs that I look out for include:
Walking too fast, eyes glued to a phone
I love exploring a city on foot; but sometimes my pace will get so quick it raises my heartrate. Friends have asked me to slow down to match their pace, reminding me we’re not in a rush.
A feedback loop can occur here. I start walking, and the exercise releases endorphins, which feel good (for a bit, anyway). So then I want to keep feeling that rush, and end up whizzing by art, architecture, and city sights. I miss out on opportunities to get curious about the new place I’m in.
How to fix it: If a fast song is impacting your pace, take out your headphones or switch to a slower track. Slow your breathing so that your heart rate doesn’t feel out-of-control. Pocket your phone when you can, and try to notice your route—will you come back the same way? Is there a coffee shop you could linger at, or a market to try local food? Remember it’s the journey, not the destination, that makes up a trip.
Feeling like there’s never enough time
If you’ve travelled with a huge to-do list, you might feel that lingering in places is a waste of time. That’s what the anxious part of my brain says, anyway—that any time spent in a café people-watching and taking time to reflect on say, a gallery visit, would be better spent taking the coffee to-go and high-tailing it to yet another gallery.
How to fix it: Remember that although the sentiment is true, the anxiety around FOMO doesn’t have to be. There will never be enough time on a city break to experience everything the city has to offer. So carve out time for the things that are meaningful to you! Try cutting down your activities list by priorities. Make a “must do” list that’s a reasonable amount of activities (say, one per day of your trip). Everything else can go on the “nice to do” list—but don’t pressure yourself to attend them if there isn’t time.
Coming home exhausted
Of course, not all travel is relaxing, and even luxury vacations have elements of challenge to them. But being on the plane ride home, dreading work the next day out of pure exhaustion because you’ve pushed yourself too much on a trip, sucks. This might be a sign that you’re not allowing yourself to rest enough while you’re away from home.
How to fix it: Rest! I actually wrote a piece about how rest is the most productive activity while travelling. Our bodies weren’t made to go without stopping! This could look like a “brain break”—if you’re mentall drained, maybe watching your fave YouTuber might relax you. It could look like a physical break, like lying down or getting off your feet. It might even just mean taking a break from other people. Sometimes it’s draining to spend a lot of time around people, and honouring that part of yourself is important.
Not remembering trips clearly
This was a big one for me! It makes me sad to think about city breaks I can barely remember because I rushed from point A to B to C to D. When I did this, I didn’t make any meaningful memories at any of the stops. Or worse, my trip would come to grinding halt when I got a panic attack, heat stroke, or my feet couldn’t take anymore walking after 30k steps in flimsy shoes. Not taking care of myself meant that my body would force me to stop running all over the place.
How to fix it: Honestly, there’s a limited fix here. It’s hard, because if you can’t remember a trip, there isn’t much that can get the memory back. Something I’ve tried to do (with limited success) is write out every little detail I remember of a trip. I piece this together with photos on my phone’s iCloud backup, to cement in my brain the parts of the trip that gave me joy.
The best remedy for this is to make a conscious effort to keep slow travel as a priority while travelling. Linger where you feel good, get curious about the place you’re in, and to lean into the moments that make you think deeply and feel strongly.
Because after all, the best trips aren’t the ones where you’re as busy as possible; they’re the ones where you come away having learned or felt something that stays with you, weaving into the fabric of who you are. And by slowing down, you might be seeing less, but you’ll feel, think, and remember more—and isn’t that the point?
If you’re looking to learn more about slow travel, I’ve written an explainer here; and if you’re curious about the link between anxiety and slow travel, I’d suggest you check out my post here.
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