You’ve planned for that dream vacation all year long. However, as the date draws closer, you find yourself getting anxious. This is a very normal experience as there are many things that can happen during a vacation, regardless of how well-planned it was. Nevertheless, there are some things you can do to reduce your anxiety about an upcoming vacation.
The first you need to do is to figure out what’s making you anxious. Some people are anxious about riding an airplane or getting on a cruise ship. This is perhaps because of the negative reports they hear about travelling in these types of transportation. Some may also feel very anxious about post-vacation. They are overly concerned what will happen after the vacation. The rule of thumb is to find out what is making you anxious and try to determine if these are manageable or not, or whether they are realistic or not.
For instance, if you are anxious about getting sick while on a vacation in another country and fear that the medical expenses you’ll incur in that country will simply be too much for you, then you know that there is a solution for that. If you’re an EU or EFTA national, you can use your European Health Insurance Card to help you defray the costs of international health care services. Of course, you also need to have your own travel insurance. These two can help solve your problems and make you less anxious.
Second, you need to prepare very well, way in advance. Give it at least several weeks to really sort everything out. The shorter the period of preparation, the greater the levels of anxiety. The only way you can reduce this anxiety is by lengthening the period of vacation preparation. So do everything you possibly can to list down everything that you would like to take care of before you go on vacation, while you’re on vacation, and immediately after returning from a vacation.
Third, don’t be afraid to take vacation breaks. While on vacation, if you see any sign or an impending anxiety, take a break. Consider it like taking a vacation within a vacation. Health experts don’t usually recommend fighting stress because doing so only fuels it. So, the more you struggle against your stresses, the more stressed out you become. And clearly, this is not the way to go. To help you reduce your anxiety for an upcoming vacation, you have to have a contingency plan.
Fourth, make sure to have someone at home whom you can call anytime while on a vacation overseas. It can be your parents, your siblings, or even your trusted friend. The point is for you to coordinate with them even before you go on vacation so they will be there to support you when you really need them to.
Going on a vacation can be wrought with many uncertainties. Hopefully, this very simple guide gave you an idea of how you can reduce your anxieties before you go on a holiday vacation.
