A holiday is meant to offer a break from the pressures of everyday life. Yet, for some people, time away from work and routine brings little relief. Instead of returning refreshed, they find themselves just as tired, or even more stressed, than before they left.
The problem may have less to do with the destination and more to do with how people approach their time off, according to Dr Chandni Tugnait, an Indian psychotherapist and founder and director of Gateway of Healing.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Tugnait identified several psychological factors that can prevent people from enjoying their holidays.
Checking emails over breakfast or answering a quick call from a hotel room may seem harmless, but such habits keep the mind connected to workplace demands. Some people also feel guilty about being away or worry that things will go wrong in their absence, making it difficult to switch off.
A packed itinerary can turn a holiday into a race against time. Trying to visit every popular attraction, café and landmark often means waking up early, rushing through meals and spending much of the day travelling between places. Rather than relaxing, holidaymakers end up working through a checklist.
After months of anticipation, people may build an ideal picture of how their holiday should unfold. Unexpected rain, disappointing accommodation or disagreements among travel companions can then feel like major setbacks, overshadowing the rest of the trip.
The pressure to capture the perfect photograph for social media can also take people away from the experience itself. As Tugnait noted, spending too much time framing pictures and thinking about how a post will look can prevent travellers from being fully present in the moment.
For some, thoughts of unfinished tasks and mounting work begin to creep in before the holiday is even over. Anxiety about returning to daily responsibilities can take away from the final days of the break.
Enjoying a holiday does not necessarily depend on choosing the right destination or visiting more places. Keeping plans flexible, setting firm boundaries around work and accepting that not everything will go as expected can make time away more rewarding.
Allowing room for unplanned moments, rather than trying to make every day perfect, may help travellers return home feeling genuinely rested.
