7 Things You Need to do to De-stress at the Airport ...

Exercise is a well-known stress reliever and also allows you to stretch and get your blood circulating before you have to get on the plane either for the first time or to continue on to your destination. Some airports cater to this, offering many ways to de-stress. Indianapolis, Cleveland and Minneapolis-St. Paul airports have walking paths, and San Francisco and Burlington International have yoga rooms. Even in airports without facilities, the concourses are usually long enough to get in a few laps without much trouble.

While sleeping may not seem possible in an airport, even a small power nap will go a long way to de-stress your airport experience. Many airports offer special places to catch a nap, ranging from relaxation rooms to short-stay hotels for travelers. For example, Philadelphia and Dallas-Fort Worth Airports offer Minute Suites, where you can enjoy a soft pillow as well as a sound masking system. Yotels are popular in airports such as London’s Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol. The post-security trend continues and opportunities to catch a little nap will become more available.

Don’t stand in line to place your order, and don’t sidle up to the bar. Find a place where you can sit down, chill out, and order off a real menu. Order a relaxing glass of wine or bottle of beer, browse the menu for a nice appetizer or meal and eat with real forks and spoons. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite. After a while, you’ll be able to feel the tension decrease while your stomach slowly digests your food, instead of it having to churn through a dry sandwich you tried to scoff down.

Several airports are embracing an idea borrowed from grandma’s front porch - the rocking chair. The “Kennedy Chair”, so called because John F. Kennedy sat in a similar one to ease his back pain, is found in about 40 airports throughout the country. Find them in Burlington, Philadelphia, Seattle and Miami, to name a few. Sitting in these time-tested classics melts the anxiety away, but they are very popular, so if you see an empty seat, claim your spot quickly.

While most people have some sort of music available to them through their phones or other electronic devices, there’s nothing like live music to de-stress, and a few airports offer live music venues that are equally as inviting for locals as for travelers. JFK airports has the JetBlue’s Live from T5 concerts, and the Music in the Air program offered by Austin-Bergstrom Airport stages live music at several venues throughout the airport. Sea-Tac offers music that showcases the city’s music culture. Several other airports offer some version of live music, which will get your mind off your travel stress.

In a number of airports, there are lots of ways to treat yourself and de-stress as well. These relaxing places may include anything from a simple chair massage to manicures and pedicures. You might even enjoy a quick haircut, waxing or facial. XpressSpas are located at 17 airports in the U.S., Massage Bar shops are located at 8 airports, and 10 Minute Manicures are at 4 airports in the U.S. and Canada. While these are more well-known chains, there are several airports that offer the services of local, independent spas.

That may seem impossible in a busy airport, but a few airports offer prayer or meditation rooms where you can de-stress even if you aren’t overly religious or spiritual. There areas are almost always quiet and peaceful, and don’t have a lot of traffic. Chapels, prayer rooms, or meditation spaces are usually interfaith, and are off the beaten path so you will not likely just stumble on it - you’ll probably have to look for it on a map or directory or ask airport personnel.

Some of the large international airports have seriously upped their game in the past couple of decades and there are all sort of ways to de-stress, relax and even be entertained while you’re waiting to board. You’ll find yoga rooms, Zen gardens and even museums and art galleries. But without those you can still chill out. How do you endure long airport stays?