Major anxiety before a holiday

[Username0110]

My god its crippling me.
Where due to go on a holiday in a few days and i just get so anxious that something will ruin it, everytime we go away i get it!
Someone going to get ill and we cant fly, its crippling.
I keep googling all the different scenarios and i just cant relax, my stomachs in knots, i cant eat.
Am i being ridiculous?
How do i over come this?

You aren’t necessarily being ridiculous, but you are ruining your own trip.

The thing I have found most useful in overcoming anxiety of any kind is realising that the scenario I imagined very rarely is the one that happens. Most likely nothing at all will happen, but if it does, it won’t be stomach upsets, it’ll be something you hadn’t even thought of. So, no point in worrying

I get a bit like this - but not as severe as yours sounds op

I just try be logical about the thoughts - like one of us is too sick to go well at least it happened before we actually got there and not while we were away - and the travel insurance will cover situations like this anyway

it is just a holiday op - so what if you can’t go really - you can go again another time

I’ve had my 3 year old in Thai hospital twice in our 5 weeks while we were there and that was bloody shit - but I was thankful I was somewhere with decent healthcare 🤷‍♀️

I panicked after Covid when we had our Japan trip coming up that had been cancelled in April 2020 and our daughters nursery had chicken pox and all I could think was she’s gonna catch it and we can’t go !

I actually panic bought the vaccine in boots the next day 🤣🤣🫣

There are two ways to respond to anxiety - ignore or listen - and it takes wisdom to know when to pick each approach.

Firstly, if you want to do the thing, you have to manage the anxiety. In this situation meditation, breathing exercises or playing 'so what?' can help. Accept the anxiety is a price worth paying for the thing to happen.

Sometimes, the anxiety can be a sign you're doing something you don't actually want to do. Going on holiday isn't universally enjoyed. So it might be worth thinking if a different type of travel is better.

Avoidance should generally be avoided, but sometimes respecting preferences is a good thing!

I'd start with meditation to get your base stress level a bit lower, and calm the racing thoughts.

Has this actually happened to you OP?

I get a bit like that just before too. I even put off packing until the very last minute because my mind can't seem to face it. I worry about if we will all sleep in by accident , the taxi doesn't turn up, or if we're driving if the car will break down on the way to the airport etc etc. I even visualise scenarios of us not being able to go because someeone gets ill etc.

I am a bag of nerves but the very minute our cases have gone through and we've gone through security I completely relax, it's so strange. I think it's because everything else beyond that point is out of my hands. Before that, it could be ME that fucks up, as it's me that books everything and checks everyone's passports etc. If it's a holiday in thsi country and we're driving I'm also anxious - until the point where we're driving off, and then i'm fine!

So I completely understand, OP. I really love planning holidays, i've planned some fairly complicated ones like US road trips etc and I don't get anxious about anything while we're doing it all, and anything could go wrong on those sorts of holidays. It all just feels exciting instead. So I don't know why I get anxious in the run up to holidays but am fine while we're away .

Same here. I feel sick the night before!

I have this a bit, not that something will go wrong and it will be ruined but more that I'll miss my routines at home. I always wish I wasn't going the night before and tell myself "it's only a week and then I'll be home". Nine times out of ten I have a great time as soon as I get there.