Top 7 Sources of Vacation Anxiety

Holidays are usually an opportunity to disconnect and relax… except when they are not.

And it is that although this is an aspect that we overlook, the holiday period is not free of elements capable of stressing us, as much as in theory we have much fewer obligations and responsibilities related to the professional.

In this article we will see which are the most important of all those sources of anxiety and stress during the holidays.

• Related article: "Why do so many couples have conflicts during the holidays?"

Main triggers of anxiety and stress during the holidays

If something characterizes the holidays, it is precisely the variety of forms that it can take, because that free time of which We have during those days adapts to all kinds of preferences without being limited by the constraints of the context labor.

However, if we focus on stress-generating vacation experiences, we can group them into several categories or types that are relatively common. Here we will review the most important ones.

1. Frustration and indecision for not knowing what to do

Something as simple as having doubts about what to spend on vacation days is in itself a source of stress. To this must be added the social pressure to have a fantastic vacation, which is original or goes beyond the norm, making this compatible with the budget we have.

This problem can lead many people to believe that they are "wasting their time" if they do not go on a trip to an exotic country or very different from their own, for example, and that They must live up to what their friends and acquaintances do (which in turn has been filtered and idealized through the use of social networks such as Instagram or Facebook).

• You may be interested in: "Decision making: what is it, phases and parts of the brain involved"

2. Coordination and planning problems

Planning trips and family gatherings, holding meetings when everyone is doing well, managing unforeseen events such as cancellation of flights or lost luggage... These logistical and seemingly banal aspects can be an anxiety bomb.

• Related article: "The 11 executive functions of the human brain"

3. Problems disconnecting from work

Many people have trouble taking their minds off their work projects and responsibilities. Despite not performing their usual tasks, they experience a kind of psychological inertia That leads them to believe that they should prepare for work, or not stop monitoring what they have been achieving during the previous months.

Luckily, stopping your work mobile phone, not checking your email inbox, and traveling to new places helps a lot to nip with exposure to stimuli that makes us think about our facet professional.

• You may be interested in: "Workaholic: Causes and Symptoms of Work Addiction"

4. Jet lag

The jet lag produced by flights to distant countries give rise to a series of physical alterations, among which is a greater predisposition to suffer stress. This phenomenon lasts for several hours, but usually fades on its own. as the body is exposed to a new pattern of activity and exposure to sunlight.

5. Lack of quality sleep

In a similar way to jet lag, the de-structuring of schedules associated with having a lot of free time often leads to excess anxiety due to lack of sleep. To prevent this from happening, it is important not to stop following certain schedules even if we are not forced to follow them due to the need to go to work during certain hours of the day. Also, the time when we go to sleep should not change much depending on what day of the week we are.

• Related article: "I'm not sleepy, should I be concerned? Causes, symptoms and treatment "

6. Conflicts over the division of tasks

Entering into a new dynamic of what to do on a day-to-day basis can cause some families and couples to argue about what responsibilities each one should do. This happens because on vacation we lose the references and the "routines" that have been in place for the rest of the year.

The best thing to avoid this type of inconvenience is to plan in advance how the distribution of tasks will be, assuming that stopping work goes hand in hand with new opportunities to help the rest of the family.

7. Fatigue from parenting and childcare

As during the holidays, families with young children must face all kinds of new situations while taking care of them and They educate them (since they spend all hours of the day with them, by not going to school), this can easily trigger stress problems.

This occurs especially in families that are very attached to gender roles., since the responsibility of taking care of the little ones in the house is usually assigned unequally, harming women.

• You may be interested in: "Top 6 Problems for New Parents"

Are you interested in having psychotherapy services?

If you want to have professional psychological support, either in face-to-face sessions or through the online therapy modality, get in touch with our team.

On Psychomaster We work through the most effective intervention strategies and modalities, from therapy cognitive-behavioral to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and we also offer psychiatry. You can find us in our center located in Madrid, or ask us about the possibility of making sessions by video call.