The Unexpected Ways Travel Delays Can Have Positive Impacts On Mental Health, Per A Psychologist

It's no secret that travel opens doors to new experiences. From exploring unfamiliar places to learning about different cultures, and enjoying unexpected encounters with new people, traveling to a different country (or even a different city) typically comes with its own set of well-deserved rewards and memories. Because whether you're exploring a bustling city or relaxing on a remote beach in the Caribbean, one thing's for sure: Travel is anything but predictable — and it's filled with new adventures and surprises. That said, not all of these surprises are necessarily welcome. Enter: flight cancellations, train delays, and traffic jams that can quickly turn any moment of wanderlust-fueled excitement into pure frustration. Thankfully, though, not all is lost when these setbacks happen.

Explore spoke to Dr. Menije, a licensed psychologist and the founder of Embracing You Therapy in Los Angeles, to understand just how these travel delays can transform and, in some cases, even benefit your mental health. While delays and cancellations might seem like purely negative experiences, the truth is that they can offer unexpected opportunities for personal growth and mindfulness. But that's only possible if you're ready to approach them with the right mindset.

When forced to deal with annoying flight delays, schedule changes, or unexpected detours, most travelers experience a high level frustration that stems from a sense of powerlessness. However, instead of letting these potential disruptions ruin your trip, Dr. Menije recommends transforming the situation into an opportunity to practice surrendering control and embracing uncertainty. "It all comes down to how we choose to respond to any setback," she explains. "If we choose to perceive any setback while traveling as an opportunity to let go of control, surrender, and trust the timing of things, then we can experience this setback positively." Basically, it's all about how you choose to see things: as an unfair punishment or as an advantage.

This shift in perspective can ultimately shift a seemingly negative situation into one with potential mental health benefits — especially for type-A travelers and tourists who struggle to relax and give into the "flow" of things. How? Well, rather than fighting against circumstances you clearly can't change, accepting the reality allows you to redirect your energy toward more constructive, healthier responses instead. "When we view setbacks as events that are in our favor rather than misfortunes, then we can cope with them with more compassion, flexibility, maybe even a bit of humor," Dr. Menije emphasizes.

Embracing setbacks doesn't necessarily mean denying the inconvenience of travel disruptions or frustrations — it just means reframing them as opportunities. According to Dr. Menije, this mental shift is a conscious choice you can make to protect your wellbeing: "It is in our responses to setbacks that can have either a positive or negative impact on our mental health." That way, when you choose to see a three-hour delay not as wasted time but as an opportunity — to finish a book, practice meditation, or simply kick back and relax — you can help turn the "negative" experience on its head into something beneficial.

"One of the key skills to practice when coping with setbacks while traveling is being mindful of our perception," Dr. Menije explains. "Are we going to see, conclude, perceive this event as a burden or a gift, as an opportunity for growth or failure, as a survivor or a victim?" Plus, by flipping the script and practicing acceptance in challenging situations, you can also develop powerful tools to fight stress and anxiety and cultivate resilience — all of which are valuable skills that'll come in handy long after you've made it back home (even if that's a little later than planned).

Don't know where to start? According to Dr. Menije, using positive affirmations can help reinforce this mental shift. Specifically, she recommends phrases such as "All is well," "I am safe," and "I trust the timing of things" to help release control and meet the present moment as it unfolds. Beyond that, a little anticipation also goes a long way. As such, Dr. Menije suggests preparing for potential flight delays and cancellations by packing extra entertainment and building buffer time into your travel schedule to reduce frustration if any setbacks do happen.