HOLIDAYS — HAPPY OR HORRIBLE?
Exploring the real reality of holidays
Holidays are supposed to be relaxing — aren't they?
For some people they are. For others, going away can bring anxiety, sensory overload, disrupted routines, unfamiliar food, family pressure, travel stress and exhaustion. And many people experience both enjoyment and difficulty at the same time.
Holidays — Happy or Horrible? explores the side of holidays that is not always shown in the photographs.
Inside the full guide you will find:
• why holidays can feel emotionally and physically demanding
• travel and sensory-overload considerations
• support around routine disruption and unfamiliar environments
• food challenges, including the importance of safe and familiar options
• family and social pressure
• financial pressure
• a pre-holiday needs planner
• a full holiday wellbeing plan
• signs of overload and regulation ideas
• an in-the-moment holiday check-in
• permission to rest and do holidays differently
• post-holiday recovery guidance
• an after-holiday reflection worksheet
• a personal message from me
You can love the destination and hate the journey.
You can enjoy being with people and still need time alone.
You can feel grateful for a holiday and find parts of it incredibly difficult.
Different experiences. Different needs. Both are valid.
A successful holiday does not have to involve filling every day with activities. Sometimes the things that make a holiday work are the quieter choices: familiar food, predictable routines, time alone, a slower pace, sensory support and enough recovery time.
Your wellbeing matters wherever you go.
Space to Breathe Therapy
