Why Some of Us Dread Going on Vacation

As the vacation gets closer, your thoughts become more specific. All of the details that are required for you to go on the trip come into view. You think about getting your passport renewed or reserving space on an excursion. You also start thinking about how to structure your work so that you can get away. You consider meetings you will miss, events that need to be rescheduled, and responsibilities that need to be shifted to someone else.

Because it really is important to get away, you should not add stress to your vacation by questioning your decision to go away. When you book your next trip, remind yourself of what you are going to feel like as the trip nears by imagining that you actually had to go on the trip next week. Look at your schedule and recognize that you will be busy no matter when you decide to go away. If it’s really a problem, start planning earlier – get your passport renewed well ahead of time, and book that excursion sooner too.

Look back at your life over the last five years. How many specific weeks of your life can you remember? Chances are, most of the things you remember involve changes to your routine rather than business as usual. Your trips, family events, and new experiences are the ones that stick out in memory. Don’t let the mad rush the last week before you go away dissuade you from taking more trips in the future.