Holiday anxiety - anyone else?

[maldivemoment]

We’ve never done a city break as a family but just booked Paris for next week. Myself, husband and x2 kids (10&13)

Completely irrational, I know, but anyone else suffer from ‘pre-holiday anxiety?’
Between now & next week I’ll be anxious about everything related to these few days away. 😭

Anyone else? Any tips?

Do your research and plan ahead to be better prepared. It will most likely be smooth sailing. And if things don’t go wrong sometimes, there’d be no interesting story to tell😄

So do I but it's all the what ifs like what if they lose our cases, what if we lose all our passport and money, what if we all get food poisoning, what if the kids drown, what if someone ends up in hospital, what if there is a terrorist attack, what if the plane crashes, what if the hotel sets on fire, what if we get that thing that you get from showers in hotels what if I accidently pack a bomb and end up in prison for life. It's just to much. I hope you have a nice holiday op im sure it will be great

Same, sort of.

Currently obsessed that my tooth is going to fall out when I get there or my ear drum will burst when the plane takes off. No evidence to suggest that this is more likely to happen. Only going to Tenerife.

So much empathy for you. My anxiety used to be immense before a holiday. To the point where I would be in tears the night before and hoping it would get cancelled. All irrational, I know, but anxiety often is.

I’m much better now, but always make a list, check my handbag around ten times in case I haven’t actually put my passport in there but instead packed a party popper or something…

I hope you have a wonderful time and I promise you’re not alone in this!

Anxiety is a lack of confidence to deal with something especially unexpected or major.

Remind yourself that if something goes wrong, you can deal with it or get help to deal with it.

Don't run through all the things that could go wrong though. That will make you worse! Just know that whatever happens. You can deal with it

I'm on holiday at the moment! Just a short city break. Nothing has gone wrong (touch wood). All those things are really not worth worrying about. There is nothing you can do about it. Youre more likely to get run over or in a car accident in your home town and that's only a tiny chance. Do you worry about that?

@IsitaHatOrACat i needed to hear that. Thank you most sincerely.

Other stuff going on which has ramped up the anxiety to a whole new level. Try not to let it get me down but sometimes I could silently weep. Tis v tough…

Then I remind myself how privileged I am.

Yes but I do have quite a severe anxiety disorder so shouldn't of really replied to this thread is can't even go on holidays anymore because of it and my thoughts are not normal or rational in anyway

The fact is even if the hotel is dirty or you wear the wrong shoes, it's not the end of the world. You will live to laugh about it.
Important to just keep perspective.
I would focus on the passports, chargers and working credit cards.
I have travelled a lot in remote corners of the world with DC. Nothing very terrible has happened.

I have to remind myself oc my own advice constantly! (Fellow anxiety sufferer here)

If your stress levels are already high then it's understandable that your anxiety levels are raised too. Concentrate on your wellbeing, whatever helps for stress relief

you'll have a great time and hopefully come home slightly baffled as to what you were so nervous bout.
Wherabouts are you going?

aah, but each time you check your bag for the passport you've had to open up and increased the risk of it randomly flying out. Then you have to check it again!

Agree with this. Sometimes the best holiday stories are the ones where things didn’t always go so smoothly - the delayed flight by 9 hours, security opening your luggage and rifling through your dirty underwear, the taxi taking you to a completely wrong hotel in a completely different town, the many holidays where the first place you’re checking out on google maps is a pharmacy because someone’s inevitably come down with a cold/diarrhoea/sinus infection on day one… I remember them all fondly 😆

100% agree with you.

if I could pick a job it would be a travel counsellor/consultant or hotel critic. I constantly look at new places to travel and look at new places to stay but in the last 5 years despite me booking a holiday, every day leading up to it I am anxious and think about possible scenarios that could go wrong.

I have absolutely no idea why and it pisses me off to the point I often need a very stern word with myself

I’m the same OP but only with abroad holidays.

I think because I’m pretty poor so I don’t have the cash to throw at something if things go wrong plus I find airports often stressful places.
If it wasn’t for the lack of sun in the uk I wouldn’t bother going abroad anymore I think.

I think cruises would suit me but the kids won’t come with me.

I absolutely do this in the immediate lead up to holidays abroad. I look forward to it for months then just before we depart I suddenly think we should update our wills! On the journey I have to keep checking passports are in my bag & panicking I’ve forgotten to lock the door. Once we are away I’m absolutely fine.

We have had some brilliant city breaks with our teens & tweens @maldivemoment I’m sure you will have a great time exploring Paris together. While on the topic does anyone here know the best way to travel on Paris underground now? Can you just tap in and out with a debit card?

Huge thanks @90swithcigarettesandalcohol ❤️

All.of which aren't the end if the world. Our fuck ups on holiday are part of the memories, sonething to laugh about later.

Yup
Hate holidays because I get so wound up beforehand. Love it once I’m there though so I push myself to go. Kids have autism and adhd so assume I have some traits too.

@90swithcigarettesandalcohol We bought tickets from a machine last year.

Yes, I get hugely anxious and don't sleep the night before. I'm going away with family tomorrow who I've never been away with before, and my little dc, and I am fretting like hell! List was drawn up 5 weeks ago. I always forget something and I usually don't sleep on the first night of the holiday either.
If I go away with my dh I'm a lot less anxious, though.

Wow people can be unkind

yes, and my husband way more so.

I make an itinerary and a list and that helps me picture it positively.
couple of organisational things too like having electronic copies of documents and keeping things like passports in one place

Yes, every holiday! However mine isn't things going wrong it's anxiety of the mental load as I'm the one who organises everything whilst partner just has to pack his clothes.
However, last holiday he said he wanted to organise it all. It was brilliant as I had a particularly stressful time in work in the run up but I didn't have to think about any of the factors to do with the holiday at all!

I’m away next week too. Booked a couple of weeks ago. I’m excited but always have a low level of anxiety mainly around the weather and clothes haha. Less so now the kids are grown up and we know we are easily pleased. I dislike the travelling day but once we arrive, we find somewhere to have a drink and all is well. I love Paris, have a fab time.

I don't but then I'm basically incapable of worrying about anything ever, even if I should do.

Think about where you want to go, make a list of stuff to take, and breathe op. Get some anti anxiety pills or something if you need them