What is Holiday Stress and Why Do We Get so Stressed on Holiday?
Holiday stress seems to affect a lot of people nowadays. You work so hard all year and the last thing you want is to get stressed on holiday. So what is holiday stress and why do you get so stressed on holiday?
What is Holiday Stress?
This is quite a simple answer. It is the stress you feel when you are preparing for a holiday or the stress you feel while on holiday.
As a society nowadays we work really hard as a collective with little time off. This means that when holiday time comes we have to have the holiday or we will explode.
And what happens?
Usually we explode.
10 Things To Get You Stressed on Holiday?
There are many different factors which can trigger your stress. The following is a list of things which might affect you:
The Build Up
You’ve worked yourself to the bone. You’re tired, worn out and have to have a break. The holiday means everything to you: rest, fun, relaxation and recovery. You therefore put a lot of emphasis on it being perfect.
If anything goes even the slightest bit wrong you get really annoyed, “Why is this happening to me!”
You carry such high levels of stress into the holiday that you are very likely to have a very stressful time.
Overextending yourself
If you book a holiday in Europe, you live in the US and you’re only going for a weekend this has potential to be very stressful.
By overextending yourself too much you create huge levels of stress. What are you capable of and what do you really want? Choose your holiday with care remembering what it is that you need.
Preparing and Packing
If you’re going away for a holiday how often do you pack at the last minute? How often do you forget something or get really burned out because you’ve been in such a rush? This stress again is carried into your holiday and becomes holiday stress.
Your only break of the year
If you haven’t allowed yourself a weekend away or time off for a whole year, the chances are you’re going to be really stressed by the time you get to the holiday.
Change is stressful
Change can be stressful for people. Going to a new environment, culture and language can be very stressful if you are already burned out and tired.
Change of climate
Although most people love the sun or a change of climate, it can take the body a few days to adjust. Tempers might be frayed and stress levels higher until the body accustoms itself to the change.
Busy holiday destinations
A beach in summertime is a busy place. If you’re used to the peace and quiet of village life, this contrast might be stressful for you.
Being with your family non-stop
You work so hard during the year that you see your family rarely. Suddenly you’re living on top of each other. For a lot of people this can be very stressful
Having family to visit
The image which comes to mind is that off the film, “Meet The Parents.” Family get-togethers can sometimes be traumatic (hopefully not as traumatic as what Ben Stiller’s character has to put up with!)
Pressure on you to do lots on holiday
The temptation on holiday is to do lots of things and be busy. You replicate the busy life you’ve been leading at home.
But if you are not careful you’ll hear yourself saying at the end of the holiday, “I think I need another holiday to recover from this holiday!”
Be gentle, be kind and if you need a rest and to lie on the beach for a week – do it! If you don’t you might find yourself with lots of holiday stress.
