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’re wondering if you can see yourself in these habits, it’s worth asking yourself 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. I’ve had friends tell me to slow down to match their pace, and have to remind 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 up the pace to keep feeling that rush, and I end up whizzing by art, architecture, and the sights the city has to offer. I miss out on opportunities to get curious about the new place I’m in.

How to fix it: If you’re listening to a fast song that’s impacting your pace, try taking out your headphones, or switching to a slower track. Slow your breathing so that your heart rate doesn’t feel out-of-control. Put your phone back into your pocket when you can, and try to note what’s on 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 come to a special destination with a huge list of things to do, you might feel as though taking your time and lingering in places is robbing you of the chance to tick off another thing off your list. That’s what the anxious part of my brain says—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—there will never be enough time on a city break to experience everything the city has to offer—the anxiety around FOMO doesn’t have to be. Carve out time for the things that are meaningful to you, by making a “must do” list that’s a reasonable amount of activities (say, one per day of your trip) and another “nice to do” list of things you’d like to get to, but won’t pressure yourself to attend 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 in a scenario where you’re on the plane ride home, dreading work the next day out of pure exhaustion because you’ve pushed yourself too much on a trip, 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 thing to be done while travelling; our bodies weren’t made to go without stopping. This could look like a “brain break” (so if you’ve been learning all day in a city where there’s a language barrier, maybe watching your fave YouTuber might be a nice way to relax) or a physical one, like lying down or getting off your feet. It might even just mean taking a break from other people—socially, it’s draining for some 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, and 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, not making meaningful memories at any of the stops. Or worse, my trip would come to  grinding halt because I got a panic attack, or heat stroke, or my feet couldn’t take anymore walking after 30k steps in flimsy shoes—and so not taking care of myself meant that my body would force me to stop running all over the place.

How to fix it: Honestly, this one sucks because if you can’t remember a trip well, there isn’t a lot you can do to try to retain the memory. Something I’ve tried to do (with limited success) is to write out all the little details I remember of a trip, pieced together with photos on my phone’s iCloud backup, to cement in my brain the parts of the trip that gave me joy. But the best remedy for this is to make a conscious effort to keep slow travel as a priority while travelling; to 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.