Ditch Stress: Packing as Self-Care
For many people the thought of packing is stress inducing and often triggers the desire to procrastinate making it even more stressful. What if we reframed this to be a few moments of relaxation before your trip. We have listed some ways to for a positive packing experience below.
Plan in enough time to pack without rushing. I like to do most of my packing several days ahead of time to avoid the panic rush. There will always be things that have to be packed right before. This can also be done the day before. The goal is to set aside some time. How much time needed depends on the length of the trip and the type of trip.
Set up a calming environment. Some ways to do this is with candles, fun lights, an essential oil diffuser, fun or calm music. The goal is to set the vibe to help keep you from getting stressed out. Sometimes that is fun songs to jam too and sometimes that is peaceful music. Each time you pack it can be different. The idea is for it to be what you need at that time. I like to get a special snack for packing to look forward too. The key is a clean snack that will not make your fingers greasy or dirty.
Set out the tools you need to pack smoothly. Last thing you want is to being running around looking for what you need to pack in the middle. Grab your packing cubes, packing lists, clothing items, shoes you are looking to pack and lay them out. You don’t have to have every outfit completely decided at this point just what you are considering wearing and items like pajamas and swimsuits you do not want to forget.
Start packing!
Try out as many or as few of the tips above you would like. Keep in mind you do not need to pack all at once if it is too stressful or if it is a big trip that requires a lot of packing. Breaking it up can be the best way to keep you calm as well. I like to pull together the items as I go the week before I start packing. The key is to do what is best for you. There are so many aspects of a trip that can be stressful, the calmer you can start the calmer you can be throughout.