There’s often a stigma that comes along with mental health illness. However, this doesn’t have to stop one from exploring the world. In this episode, Meggie shares her experiences traveling with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and social anxiety. We chat about how she opened up to it due missing out on awesome scenery, some tips to deal with mental health conditions, and ways to prepare yourself for a travel trip even when you have mental health issues.
- 04:40: OCD and social anxiety
- 08:30: Leaning into uncertainty
- 12:00: Opening up about mental health illness
- 22:00: Challenges when traveling with OCD
- 27:40: Catching your thoughts
- 33:35: Practices for calming yourself down
- 37:35: Traveling considerations and planning
- 39:35: Travel style and writing as an outlet
- 46:30: Selecting travel destinations
- 54:40: Tips for traveling with mental health conditions
Key Quotes
The heart of OCD therapy is probably leaning into uncertainty because OCD loves certainty, but it will work against you. So you have to embrace uncertainty. And that’s what I love about travel. I’m not using travel for therapy. But it also teaches me to accept the uncertainty
on getting more comfortable with uncertainty through travel
I just love embracing this vulnerability of sharing my stories, because then it inspires people to come out to me. And maybe they’ll even reach out to their families seek professional health services
on changing the stigma of mental health illness
These little things that that I learned from travel writing. Take your time and a place and get to really know what you’re feeling and stuff and jot it all down in your journal. Travel writing also helped me embrace that slower pace.
on writing as a way to experience travel and places
I try not to make too many plans, I might visit a few places, but I’m not going to try to book the entire day. Because I do need some time to to just like chill out, look through my photos or write in my journal
on a good travel pace to reduce pressure
