unexpected feels of traveling as a nanny

You take a job as a nanny and one of the expectations is that you travel with them! The dream life!

BUT

The first trip you find yourself overcome with anxiety and can’t figure out what the heck is going on. How do you balance living the dream with sneaky anxiety?

Let’s talk about it!


How to fight nanny travel anxiety


My nanny family is such a gift (I’ll never let them forget it), but when I travel with any family, present or past, the first day or 3 are usually spent fighting anxiety or feeling weird.

Why?!

Do YOU ever feel this? The rush of being somewhere new mixed with new schedules, new places and jet-lag can often lead to feeling overwhelmed (and annoyed that you’re feeling this way because TRAVEL should make you feel better). Let’s fight this together so when anxiety tries to steal the joy of travel, we will be ready!

Here are a few things I’ve learned I need before I travel with my family to ease travel anxiety:

1) SCHEDULE. Take time with the family before you leave to review and solidify your expected schedule for the entirety of the trip. This might sound like a lot or a high-maintenence request, but if it’s going to bring you peace of mind, it’s worth it! This gives you a chance to plan YOUR off days and fill it with things like mini-trips, close by outings or a long nap.

2) PLANNING. This part is for YOU. What do YOU want to do? With your schedule set, your free time is for you to work in some tours, hikes, classes, or whatever will bring you joy. Planning some of these things are helpful to have in your back pocket should travel anxiety creep up and try to steal your joy. Don’t know where to start? Google “best restaurants in ___” or “top rated experiences in ___.” Websites like Yelp , Airbnb or Pinterest offer things you haven’t necessarily heard of before! If you want more tips, let me know!

3) TELL SOMEONE. Have a friend on speed dial. Tell your nanny family. Send that SOS, brain combusting, text to your people. Whatever you do, let someone in. This is the hardest part for me. I plan so I don’t have to feel things (not ALWAYS, just SOMETIMES… stop yelling). To ask for help is hard, and letting people in to the feelings you don’t even WANT to be feeling is, often, even harder. Coming from the expert of I-can-deal-with-it-myself… you’re not meant to deal with it yourself. As isolated as you may think you are, your people are rooting for you, I’M rooting for you.

YOU GOT THIS. WE GOT THIS.

And it goes without saying but I’m really proud of you.

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