The Best 10 Travel Packing Tips To Ease Anxiety

 As a person who travels as much as I do, you’d think I’d be able to pack in minutes. But unfortunately, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, I can be such a bad packer that I have developed anxiety around the whole process! First, it starts with procrastination. And then once I start packing it takes me hours and sometimes all night to eventually pack an overstuffed suitcase. My biggest fear is I never want to forget anything or pack the wrong things! Sound familiar? However, I believe packing should be an exciting experience leading up to a trip. So I’ve now developed these 10 travel packing tips to not only ease anxiety but also leave you feeling prepared for the trip ahead.

Why Does Packing Give You Anxiety?

Let’s talk about that little monster called packing anxiety. We’ve all been there, standing in front of an open suitcase, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer thought of fitting our whole lives into that confined space. It’s like our emotions decide to join the party, bringing along a mix of worry, doubt, and fear. But hey, take a deep breath and let’s tackle this together. The truth is, packing anxiety often stems from the fear of the unknown, the fear of forgetting something important, or the fear of being unprepared. But here’s the secret: you have the power to conquer it. By following some simple travel packing tips, you can ease that anxiety and take charge of your packing game. Remember, it’s just a suitcase, not a life sentence. So embrace the adventure, pack with purpose, and get ready to embark on your journey with a newfound sense of calm and confidence. You’ve got this!

Travel Packing Tip #1: Write out a List

One of my favourite thing to do is write lists. Mostly so I can feel that sense of accomplishment when I cross off completed tasks. So surprise, surprise, my first travel packing tip is to write out a packing list. I either do this in my iPhone notepad so I can add things as I think of them on the go. Or I write it out on this cute and handy notepad that breaks everything up for me.  At the bottom of this list, I write out a section titled Things to Pack on the Morning I Leave. Under here I include toiletries, pyjamas, iPhone charger, make-up and other things I can’t pack until that morning. This ensures I don’t forget anything.

Travel Packing Tip #2: Packing Cubes vs. Compression Packing Cubes!

Packing Cubes

If you are a person who loves to have an organized bag, then packing cubes will be your best friend. I personally bought these ones and love the variety of bags sizes and uses. However, I also love the fun prints on these packing cubes. Two things that have been a game changer for me have been the shoe bag, and laundry bag.  Both of these are included in this packing cube set and allow me to separate my dirty clothes and shoes from clean clothing. Plus, when it’s laundry day, I already have everything ready to go in its designated laundry bag.

Travel Roll Up Compression Bags

I recently picked up this tip before leaving on our one year trip to Europe, and it’s now one of my favourite travel hacks! Pack your items in these Travel Roll Up Compression Bags from Amazon. They say it saves you up to 80% storage space, but I would say it is more like 60%. Either way, we travelled with these bags for 2 years, and they were a game changer!

They work similar to a packing cube, however, these bags allow you to release any access air by rolling up the bags (without a vacuum) to save space in your suitcase. This not only lets you pack more, but also allows you to be more organized when you unpack. Since these bags are transparent, it’s easy to see all your clothes when you pull these bags out of your suitcase.

My partner and I bought one box of these travel compression bags, and there were plenty to share! Personally, I used two large size for all my clothes and two medium size for my underwear, socks, bras and bathing suits. We even had some spare that we brought with us for shopping, or to separate clean clothes with dirty clothes on the trip.

Compression Packing Cubes

However, now the packing gods have recently come out with a combination of the two. That’s right – a compression packing cube! The perfect companion for your packing journey. I have to admit that I just discovered these, so I haven’t tried them for myself, but the reviews are so good that I just ordered some for my next trip. They say that they save 60% of luggage space. This is 20% less than the travel compression bags I’ve used in the past, but still impressive. The biggest difference between the two is the travel compression bags are clear (which makes it easy to see what you packed in each bag), whereas these compression packing cubes are not; however, they look more chic and classy.

So which bags do I recommend?

Overall, all of them are great, and will make packing more organized and enjoyable. But which one you pick will it depends how long you are travelling, and what you need to pack. If you are travelling for a long time, or with bulky sweaters for colder destinations, I would recommend the travel compression bags, since they compress the most. And if you are travelling in a carry on, or for a shorter period of time, I recommend compression packing cubes.

Travel Packing Tip #3: Start Early

Is there anything worse than packing minutes before you have to run out the door? Throwing the first thing you see into a bag, only to arrive and realize nothing matches, you have more underwear than you know what to do with, and *face palm* you forgot your toothbrush. Spare yourself a headache and put your bag out a week before you leave and add things as you start to prepare for the trip ahead. This will also give you ample time to go buy anything you need like prescriptions, travel-size toiletries, or that new bathing-suite. 😉

Travel Packing Tip #4: Use Pinterest for Inspiration

 I love the style and packing cute destination inspired outfits as much as the next girl. If you ever need some style inspiration of what to pack, check out Pinterest. It is such a great visual tool to get some different ideas about what to pack. Plus there are tons of pins that give you visual packing lists for specific places. I have a whole board of “Travel Styles” I refer to if I haven’t travelled to the place and need some inspiration. Feel free to check out my Pinterest board here and get some inspiration for your next trip.

Travel Packing Tip #5: Check the Weather

 I learned this travel packing tip the hard way when we travelled to Hong Kong and I assumed it was hot and humid there all year round. FYI this not the case! Yours truly arrived with a suitcase full of summer clothes, which did not keep me warm in the 10-15 degree temperatures. In this instance, don’t panic!  You can always buy what you are missing when you get there!

On the flip side, when we travelled to Peru I did check the weather in advance and noticed the temperature drastically varied from city to city. I would not have guessed that some regions of Peru get to below zero degrees, while others are hot, humid & swarming with bugs. Since I looked up every city and the range weather during our visit, I packed appropriately (and even made sure to bring bug spray). This is now something I do before every trip.

Travel Packing Tip #6: Pack for Activities

 Planning to hike, bike, surf or just suntan? Write down a list (yes, another list) of each activity you plan to do on vacation. Beside each activity write down all the gear you need, like runners, workout clothing or sunscreen to make sure you don’t forget any of it at home! This is particularly important if you are planning to do multiple activities in one trip or an activity that requires a lot of gear, like golf or overnight hiking.

Travel Packing Tip #7: Pack Layers

Scarves, cardigans, button-up shirts or long-sleeves are all easy add-ons to any outfit, and can easily be thrown into a purse or backpack. I always freeze on flights, so these items normally save me from catching a cold on my vacation. *Bonus: use that scarf as a pillow to sleep with on a long plane or train ride.

Travel Packing Tip #8: Take out 25%-50% 

Recently when packing for my 2 week trip to Australia, I packed eight pairs of shorts…eight! What was I thinking? Luckily I have a partner who can bring me to my senses, and tell me I won’t need that many pairs for two weeks. Now what I do is throw everything I want to pack into a pile, and from there, I segment these items into separate piles. For example, one pile for shorts, one for dresses, another for t-shirts, pants, shoes, etc.

Doing this will allow you to visually see if you have too many of something. For example, 10 pairs of shoes or bathing-suits might not be necessary. I aim to cut these smaller piles down by 25-50%, resulting in 4 pairs of shorts – a much more reasonable amount. If you can, ask your travel buddy or partner to help you. This trick alone has helped me immensely, and the best part is I now have room in my suitcase if I want to go shopping!

Travel Packing Tip #9: Try it On

Another great way to cut down on what you pack is to physically try it on before you put it in your bag. But don’t just throw it on, try it with the accessories, shoes, and jacket. I know I am guilty of packing way too many accessories and shoes, but when I mindfully match everything together, I realize I can eliminate some extra accessories and at least one pair of shoes.

Travel Packing Tip #10: Music, Smile, & Breathe!

As I said at the beginning, packing should be an exciting process to get you ready for your vacation. So put on some upbeat music, imagine yourself already there, and take nice long breaths to keep your mind relaxed & focused. Soon you’ll be on that plane taking off on your next adventure. YAY!

I hope these travel packing tips help ease your anxiety and leave you feeling prepared for your next vacation! Good luck and happy packing.

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Do you have any travel packing tips you swear by? I would love to hear them, as I need all the help I can get. Please share them in the comments below.

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