Another stress saving tactic I like to promote is staying in an airport hotel the night before your flight. Holiday Extras has many Stansted Airport hotels to choose from, allowing for a relaxing evening, sit down meal and in some cases, a spa, before the chaos of the airport the next day.
It’s all very well and good just saying ‘stay calm’, because when you’re faced with queues, people barking orders at you in the security queue, and the worry of getting stuck in that monstrous queue at Burger King, staying calm is often one of the hardest things to do. Despite that, taking a deep breath, remembering why you’re there, and avoiding as much of the hustle and bustle as possible, is a good way to keep your blood pressure on a much more even keel.
Give it some thought before you leave the house. When you pack your hand luggage, think about what you might need in easy access at the airport, and keep it to the top of your bag. This will prevent you having to dig around in your bag in a flap, trying to find something that has somehow found itself right at the bottom.
Charge all your gadgets up. If you want to sit and read to distract yourself from the chaos that surrounds you, you’re not going to be too impressed if your Kindle is flashing ‘charge me!’ Charge everything up well before you leave the house, and if necessary, pack the chargers in your hand luggage, just in case.
Consider booking an airport lounge. If you really can’t handle the hustle and bustle that comes with waiting in the departure lounge, then you could possibly look at booking a bit of time in an airport lounge, where you will be promised a calmer atmosphere, free snacks and refreshments, and basically a chance to relax pre-flight.
Steer clear of excess alcohol. A few drinks will calm you and put you in the holiday mood, but more than that will get you agitated, and if you have too many you might not be able to get on the flight! Keep it to a minimum.
Consider a sit down meal. I recommend this a lot, because I think it really helps instil a bit of normality into a very abnormal situation. A sit down meal in a nice, quiet restaurant is the perfect start, and also means you get a good feed, when you’d be otherwise making do with a Boots meal deal.
Other than that, stay calm, stay up to date, and relax!
(Photo by sprengben via Flickr)
Article written by Dhmhtrhs