Holiday Anxiety Can Ruin a Well-Deserved Break

A lovely lady, we’ll call her Sarah, rang me recently for help to overcome holiday anxiety. She was ‘trying’ to get ready to go on holidays with her family — something many people look forward to with excitement.

You know the feeling, right?
The fun of planning, shopping for holiday clothes, getting organised so everything runs smoothly while you’re away and when you return.

But for Sarah, this wasn’t the case at all…

When Holidays Feel Like a Nightmare

Sarah was dreading the trip.
Not just a little bit — she was in tears at the thought of leaving home.

She told me things like:

• “I don’t want to go away.”
• “It upsets me just thinking about it.”
• “Everyone else is so excited, and I feel broken.”

She found herself counting the nights, wishing the holiday wasn’t happening. Then she’d get annoyed with herself for not being excited.
The worst part? She felt ashamed. She believed something was wrong with her.

While others were chatting about swimsuits and sightseeing, she was overwhelmed inside. Her stomach would turn, she’d feel nauseous, and sometimes she’d even vomit from the stress.

Pretending to Be Fine… But Feeling So Unwell

Sarah said she’d try her best to act happy for her family. But as the departure day came closer, she couldn’t hold it together.
She would cry. She’d feel physically sick. Her body was shouting, “I don’t want to go!”

Even once she arrived at beautiful destinations, she couldn’t relax. She paced, felt trapped, and longed to get back home.

Her inner voice was relentless:

• “Why did I agree to this?”
• “I shouldn’t be here.”
• “There’s something wrong with me.”

She once dreamt of being home and woke up feeling devastated that she was still away.

She wanted to be excited. She knew she should be.
But no matter how hard she tried, her body and mind just wouldn’t let her.

Carrying the Weight of Guilt

Sarah felt deeply guilty.
She believed she was ruining her family’s time away. All she wanted was to get back to the comfort and safety of home.

So, she reached out. And we began working together.

She booked three sessions to explore her emotional and physical responses around going on holiday — and everything began to change.

Session One: Grounding and Calming the Body

In our first session, I guided Sarah through a gentle breathwork process to anchor her in the present moment. She immediately felt more grounded.

We followed with a deep hypnotic relaxation to help calm her nervous system and ease the heavy thoughts and feelings that had been stealing her joy.

Before we ended, we reinforced the anchor — something simple and powerful she could practise at home.

Her homework? Just five minutes a day of breathwork to help settle her system and build that inner safety.

Session Two: Uncovering the Root of the Guilt

Sarah returned a week later and was already feeling a bit lighter.
But the guilt? Still there.

We went deeper.

That session revealed something powerful — a memory that had been quietly living in her system for years.

When Sarah was 12, she had gone on a charity-organised holiday to the countryside with friends. She was from the city and had travelled before, but her friends hadn’t. She joined them to be part of the group.

But once there, homesickness hit her hard. So much so that she had to be sent home early.

That young version of Sarah internalised a belief:….“There’s something wrong with me because I couldn’t cope.”

That belief stayed with her.
And every time a new holiday approached, her body reacted in the same way — sadness, anxiety, sickness. Her mind tried to protect her with one clear message:….Stay at home where it’s safe.

Rewriting the Story with a New Memory

In that same session, we used deep relaxation and therapeutic techniques to revisit a different, much earlier memory.

Sarah remembered being seven, staying in her Granny’s house, feeling completely safe and loved. She could even describe the mattress print — a little Chinese lady with a parasol!

Her whole face lit up when she talked about it.

Together, we anchored that memory — full of safety, comfort, and care — as her new emotional reference point for travelling.

Her body finally had a new message:….“It’s safe to enjoy being away.”

Session Three: A Whole New Feeling

By the time Sarah came in for her final session, things had shifted.

She had been shopping. She was packing.
And — most importantly — she was excited.

She was looking forward to making memories with her daughters, just as her parents had once done for her. She could finally feel the joy that had always been out of reach before.

We made sense of everything together.

As a child, she couldn’t understand why she missed her parents so much. She had interpreted normal homesickness as a flaw in herself — and that guilt had lived in her system for years.

Now, as an adult, she could offer that 12-year-old version of herself compassion and reassurance. She no longer needed to carry that shame.

Anchoring the New Belief

To consolidate everything, we connected her new belief to something she loves — rugby matches!

We talked through the journey — packing the bag, heading out, showing the ticket, finding your seat — and how that’s just like going on holiday.

Now, wherever Sarah goes, she knows: ….She is safe, secure, and minded.

She can relax, enjoy her surroundings, and most of all — make beautiful memories with her family.

You Deserve to Enjoy Your Holiday Too

Holidays are meant to be a time to recharge — for your body, your mind, and your heart.

If holiday anxiety is holding you back, you’re not alone.
And help is available.

With the right support, you can:

• Uncover what’s really behind your anxiety
• Learn to calm your body and mind
• Feel confident and excited about travelling again

Call me today on 087 2279906

I’d be delighted to help you feel safe, secure and ready to enjoy your next holiday — just like Sarah did.

To learn more about overcoming anxiety click here