Taking a break from work: How to manage ‘holiday’ anxiety.

You’ve been working hard all year, managing your anxiety, doing your ‘mental exercises’ and it’s been keeping you busy, but what happens when you take a break from work?

Do thoughts start to pop up in your mind, do you feel that you can’t relax without constantly thinking, do you feel guilty about relaxing?

If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place. I have been dealing with holiday anxiety since I first was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in my early 20s. My first major trip to Europe with my friends was scary at first, especially on that long plane ride. I was constantly questioning myself and whether I would be able to have fun on the trip and thinking that my thoughts ruined everything.

I did not know how to deal with this well. Then when it came to extended breaks from work, the same thing happened. I felt like my ‘busyness’ was keeping me from thinking about my thoughts. Which is a distraction, instead of dealing with them. Yes, you have to distract yourself to a certain degree, but it won’t solve your problem’s long term.

So, what do I do to combat ‘holiday anxiety’?

-       Prepare myself for what is to come. Even if it’s a Christmas break, I realised having a loose routine in place helps me. I would pop the activities into my calendar so I could look forward to those events.

-       Accept that it’s okay not to be busy. Busyness doesn’t always equal productivity, even at work. Going back to my values and doing important things, provides me more satisfaction than doing something for the sake of it.

-       Working on me. Taking a break is a perfect time to reflect on your thoughts, reactions and behaviours. What could you do to improve, can you introduce any mental health exercises to practice or even read a book about it that interests you.

-       Have fun! Let go and engage in the present moment. You will only get that moment once so enjoy it. Especially when you have a chance to see family and friends.

 Work will always be there, your to-do list will keep growing, accept that it’s part of life. Work is part of life, don’t live your life for holidays or the weekend as every moment in life is part of your journey. Remember to be grateful and appreciative of what you have in the moment and recognise that life is never perfect, as having a perception in every situation will make you happier in the long term.