Holiday anxiety

Is it normal? what do we do with it?

Holiday anxiety is a reality for many of us. Whether it’s a children’s summer vacation or an adult’s vacation, it should be a time to relax and recharge.

For many of us these periods that should be full of relaxation and happiness can bring with them a wave of anxiety. In this article, we explore what causes holiday anxiety, how it manifests itself and offer tips on how to better manage it.

The thought of the approaching vacation can make us feel scared or even anxious during the vacation. Why does this happen?

Together we explore the reasons why vacation anxiety can be unexpected.

1. Preparing for vacation

Pre-planning your vacation generates a higher level of stress than actually traveling or staying at your destination. Organizing logistical details, such as booking transport and accommodation, can be overwhelming. There is a major degree of stress in planning that comes from financial concerns, packing, travel arrangements and itinerary development. Furthermore, international vacations, traveling with a spouse or relatives increase stress in the planning phase.

Men and older adults (over 50) traveling with children are more likely to experience stress while traveling. First-time travelers reported more stress at their destination. (Crotts and Zehrer 2012).

2. High expectations

People often put a lot of pressure on the idea of having the perfect vacation, which can lead to frustration and disappointment if things don’t go to plan. Comparison, strongly influenced by social media, can also occur. The level of disappointment after an unsuccessful vacation depends on the tourists’ initial expectations and on who is held responsible for the problems. Strong disappointment leads tourists to react more intensely, either by complaining or seeking support (Hossain, Oppewal and Tojib 2023).

Holidays are presented as moments of liberation and self-actualization, but in reality they are accompanied by the pressure to achieve happiness and fulfillment. For example, the famous book Eat, Pray, Love expresses holiday fantasies where the protagonist travels to find happiness and fulfillment, which resonates with modern (unrealistic) desires for self-actualization (Du Plessis 2015).

3. Responsibilities left behind

While away from home (or anticipating being away from home), for some people there can be a lot of anxiety about how they have left aspects of home, relatives, plants and pets that are not with them.

Although he has delegated a responsible person to watch over them, a worry follows that something will not go according to plan. This behavior may stem from a deep need for order and control or just a very deep concern.

4. Difficulty to detach from work

For adults, worry about workplace tasks piling up in their absence can be a major source of stress. When daily stress is high and the demands at work very demanding, these seem to influence the ability to psychologically detach more than personal differences between people (Safstrom and Hartig 2013).

Feelings of guilt about work and classmates at home may also occur. Students may find it hard to detach themselves from the material. So, although physically we are in a beautiful destination, the mind is probably elsewhere thinking about a workload.

5. Changed routines and habits

Moving from your daily routine to a holiday schedule can be destabilizing. Children, in particular, may have difficulty coping. Parents may notice more irritability, more frequent fights between siblings, withdrawal, increased sadness.

A study has shown the effects on Finnish participants with chronic headaches. They believe that vacations disrupt their daily work routine and increase family conflict. As anxieties, people with headaches more often reported worries about their own health, fear of global catastrophes, poor human relations at work, illness in close family, insufficient financial resources, insufficient housing conditions, limited educational opportunities, loneliness and inadequate services (Sillanpää and Koivusilta 1989).

How do we manage holiday anxiety?

To better manage holiday anxiety, here are some practical tips:

1. Maintaining a routine

Even on vacation, sticking to some elements of your daily routine can help reduce stress. Carvalho et al’s (2021) study found a significant decrease in school-related anxiety among students who participated in summer educational programs. For children, it is recommended to continue structured activities even during the summer vacation. In addition to popular sports and outdoor activities, mental stimulation should not be neglected. Recommended activities that train memory, concentration and learning are: robotics, learning a musical instrument, learning a foreign language, learning the Soroban method of arithmetic, interactive exercise books, coloring, puzzles. It is good for the little one to have as predictable and structured a work program as possible before the fun.

For adults as well as children, it’s good to maintain some of your daily routines, such as wake-up times, mealtimes or bedtimes. Include relaxing activities in your routine such as reading, meditation, yoga or long walks that can be easily integrated into your daily holiday routine and help maintain mental health.

2. Realistic planning and managing expectations

Try not to overload yourself with too many activities and leave room for moments of relaxation. Remember that minor inconveniences are normal (e.g. bad weather, minor delays).

Set a prioritized list of goals, restaurants and activities you want to check off. These can be in a hierarchy and if you fail to achieve the last ones, accept that not everything will go to plan and try to enjoy the moment. Set a clear budget for your vacation and track your spending to avoid financial stress.

3. Extend your wellbeing

Because Bloom et al.’s (2009) meta-analysis showed that the beneficial effects of vacations generally wore off within 2 to 4 weeks after returning to work, daily writing about positive vacation experiences such as keeping a diary (travel diary) where you can add routes traveled, descriptions and pictures for unforgettable memories!

The psychological benefits of vacations

Although initially the change in routine they produce may cause discomfort, we must recognize that rest periods come with countless benefits. According to a study by Westman and Etzion (2001), vacations have a positive impact on reducing stress and burnout. The study showed that a break from work can significantly reduce psychological and behavioral stresses caused by job stress. Also, a decrease in absenteeism for non-medical reasons was observed after the holiday, indicating that such breaks can serve as an effective stress management technique. Although the positive effects of vacations on stress and burnout diminish over time, the benefits on absenteeism are more sustained. ✨ In conclusion, vacations should be times of recharging and enjoyment, and with careful planning and a flexible approach, holiday anxiety can be managed effectively.

Bibliography:

  1. Carvalho, V. M., Teixeira, S. F. F. C. F., Minas, G., Lima, R. A. M. M., Rodrigues, C. M. S. (2021). Learning science during summer vacations and its effects on attitude and anxiety towards research.
  2. Crotts, J. C., Zehrer, A. (2012). An exploratory study of vacation stress.Tourism Analysis, 17(4), 547-552.
  3. Du Plessis, G. (2015). Enjoy your vacation!. ephemera: theory politics in organization, 15(4).
  4. Duncan, J. J. (2016).The impact of summer break from school on children with severe autism and their parents: An Interdisciplinary Study (Doctoral dissertation, Laurentian University of Sudbury).
  5. Etzion, D. (2003) Annual vacation: Duration of relief from job stressors and burnout.Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 16(2), 213-226.
  6. Fritz, C., Ellis, A. M., Demsky, C. A., Lin, B. C., Guros, F. (2013). embracing work breaks.Organizational Dynamics, 42(4), 274-280.
  7. Hossain, M. I., Oppewal, H., Tojib, D. (2023). Journal of Travel Research, 62(5), 989-1009.
  8. Safstrom, M., Hartig, T. (2013) Psychological detachment in the relationship between job stressors and strain.Behavioral sciences, 3(3), 418-433.
  9. Shamseddeen, W., Clarke, G., Wagner, K. D., Ryan, N. D., Birmaher, B., Emslie, G., … Brent, D. A. (2011). Treatment-resistant depressed youth show a higher response rate if treatment ends during summer school break.Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 50(11), 1140-1148.
  10. Sillanpää, M., Koivusilta, L. (1989). Severe headache and vacation. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 29(9), 574-578.
  11. Westman, M., Etzion, D. (2001) The impact of vacation and job stress on burnout and absenteeism.Psychology health, 16(5), 595-606.

Psych. Estera Streian – Clinical psychologist – for adults and children

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