Looking for anxiety self-help strategies before pursuing therapy/meds

Funnily enough my anxiety seems to dissipate on holiday. YMMV. Here to chime in about Mindfulness/meditation. I use the Smiling Mind app (it's free, though if you don't like the Aussie accent you may suffer) and have found marked improvements though I've got a bit of a way to go.

This previous AskMe has some nice ideas and resources: https://ask.metafilter.com/278016/How-to-manage-my-anxiety-until-I-can-get-to-see-a-therapist

You could read the cbt book feeling good by David Burns and try to do the workbook to reduce your anxiety as you travel. A half hour brisk walk most days may make your anxiety easier to deal with as well.

Nthing meditation. I've tried the CBT and haven't really found it helpful, but since I started with Headspace earlier this year I have felt a ton better. In fact, I haven't done it as much the last month or so due to crazy everything and it has made a noticeable difference.

Mindfulness. Be present, in this moment. There are a gazillion resources online; you might also find something effective by googling "DBT distress tolerance."

I have gathered small list of specific self-soothing things (with the help of my therapist) that I know help calm me down in the short term, though what works for you will depend on your personality. I like order and small goals, so certain phone games (like http://www.blendoku.com/) can help me deal with short-term anxiety, as can calming playlists of music, reading calming things (which often means re-reading familiar favorite books if I'm really anxious), watching calm videos, etc. There's also an iPhone app called http://calmkeeperapp.com/ I like to use sometimes — it has some distracting games and breathing exercises. having these things queued up and ready to go is reassuring to me. Writing is also helpful, and, as Kalmya mentioned, walking is a HUGE help. It calms my thoughts like nothing else. Can you make a list and gather a few supplies (a couple of apps, a favorite book, some calm music) to make a calming kit to bring with you? Besides that, taking care of your health as much as possible is important. Travel is stressful no matter what, so make sure you're drinking water, eating as well as you can, sleeping as well as you can (do you need to bring an eye mask, ear plugs, water bottle, etc. to accomplish that?) Gentle yoga used to be great for me, too, though alas I'm not able to practice right now, but a heating pad that physically relaxes my muscles sometimes helps me mentally relax as well. Even just stretching my arms a bit when I'm anxious can help reset my brain a little, too, especially when combined with calm breathing. The mental strategy that made a difference to me was becoming more aware of my anxiety and the physical symptoms of it so I could catch it earlier and respond gently to it. Observe my mind & body, breathe deeply, relax my shoulders, distract myself from the troubling thoughts for a bit if necessary with a walk, making a cup of tea, playing a round of Blendoku, whatever. So I try to turn my reaction to anxiety from worrying about it (which creates a vicious cycle), to stepping outside it. Good luck, and have a lovely vacation!

You'll probably find this recommendation in the earlier thread, but the http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=anxiety+%26+phobia+workbook&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=52957730995&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7584902868404078259&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7g8f3506qb_b was helpful before I started therapy. I don't know that I did many of the exercises, but just having better descriptions to work with helped.