To be nervous about travelling on public transport?

[Literallynoonecares]

I live in a semi rural area where I drive everywhere and have not had to use trains and public transport for many many years. However I have a trip today and for medical reasons I cannot drive so I am having to use trains. I am travelling alone.

The trip involves 2 train changes at large train stations and I have woken up this morning as nervous as hell. I think its a combination of travelling on stuffy trains, lots of people around and the general hustle and bustle of the whole thing. Plus feeling nervous of not making my onward connections. I am just not used to train travel anymore and am also used to a much quieter way of life and would normally avoid these kind of situations
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Its a trip I have to do as its going to see my daughter at Uni in a major City and I want to go and am excited to see her, but wow, I can't believe how nervous and overwhelmed I feel about it this morning.

I leave in 30 minutes and my stomach is churning.

Please tell me I am being ridiculous and that I am a grown woman and can do this!!

You'll be fine, take your time and look for your train. There'll be staff who you can ask for help as well. Get a coffee, buy a newspaper. Don't worry

What is it that's making you nervous?

I hate train travel as it's noisy and never runs to plan but there's honestly nothing to worry about.

I’d see it as a wake up call I was becoming too withdrawn from the world, and embrace the chance to push beyond my comfort zone today. Enjoy it, have a coffee, look out the window, see the kinds of things you can’t see when you’re concentrating on the road.

And you can ask other passengers. People are very kind

You will be absolutely fine. I bet afterwards you'll wonder what you were worried about. You may even enjoy it!!

Ridiculous, 'the world' is not a busy train station. What's the problem with not being enthusiastic about being in large crowds? We haven't evolved for that.

Absolutely normal to be nervous/anxious - your mind is on high alert to make sure you pay attention, because if you don't you'll end up somewhere other than your preferred destination! Don't be afraid of feeling emotions, they are there for a purpose.

Have a lovely day!

I voted YABAU simply because I think you know you are. You are a grown woman and you have done this before. You know you can do it. It's scary because it's something you haven't done for a long time. It's going to be busy and it's not going to be pleasant. But you can do it.

You've got this! If in doubt, ask for help/directions :) Highly recommend treating yourself to an overpriced coffee or hot chocolate in a nice coffee shop en route if funds allow, that always gives me 'main character' kind of energy when I'm travelling 😂

What do you imagine we ‘evolved for’?

I don't see the OP as being withdrawn from the world. Where does it say she does? I don't go on public transport normally either because I drive everywhere.

I sometimes worry about making connections, but what I like to do is use the train apps to look in advance which platform I'll arrive in on and what platform my next train leaves from, so once I'm at the busy station I'm not stressed working out where to go from the digital signs. I also sometimes take note of which train I would get if my current train is delayed and I miss the connection. I find if I have all that information I can relax, get a coffee and a paper and actually enjoy it!

What's the worse that could happen?
You might have to stand for a period if the train is very busy?
You might miss a connection and be a bit delayed?
As a regular commuter in the past - I''d recommend you to just get on with it, accept that a few things might go wrong, but nothing you can do about it so try not to worry.
And in my experience it's usually all fine anyway.

When visiting from the US recently, a Dsis took a train journey that involved changing trains at a particularly busy station with umpteen platforms. I told her to allow plenty of time to find the next platform - she told me that the app told her which one she needed!

That was news to me. I don’t know which app, sorry - it could have been TFL, but worth checking.

We evolved in the direction that was the best fit for the environment.

You didn't answer my question

The national rail website will tell you which platform you need

People will probably be nice, as long as it's not rush hour
Don't get off your train and just stand directly there in the way though like people do on my commute, move down the platform.

Will all be fine though

Write out your itinerary on a piece of paper, so that you are not relying on your phone.

Look at the indicator boards at each station, including the little ones on each platform.

There are sometimes toilets available on the platforms (eg at Bristol Temple Meads) so you don’t always have to go to the main concourse.

If in doubt, ask!

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/app/start/?platform=pwa

Live departure boards showing platform information.

You will be fine, and I would say this is a useful wake-up call that you may have retreated too much into a quiet life where you don't have to deal with normal stuff (travel, airports, new cities). Hopefully you will enjoy your day and want to expand things a bit, but even if not I would make a point of occasionally using public transport just to know you can.

I will never forget the day of the Countryside Alliance protest in London. Swarms of people utterly confused by ticket gates - it was like a car crash.

Surely this is obvious. The OP is not used to doing it. If she did it every day she would not be nervous as it wouldn't be out of the normal.
No different to people who get nervous about driving a new route or people who are nervous about public speaking if they don't frequently do it.

That’s laughably untrue.

Anyway OP good luck for today. Hope you enjoy it and the journey passes uneventfully.

Given that you have a child at university, could it be possible that you are experiencing peri menopause anxiety? I found some situations that I would have been easily able to manage became quite nerve wracking for no apparent reason. I would overplan packing, journeys, even housework!

Before you know it the day will be over, any you will be thinking - hey that wasn't too bad - just make sure you have plenty of time about you, take it easy and take care. I have a passionate hatred of public transport, probably through fear, but my kids do it all the time. You will be fine