Family holidays are integral to building memories that last a lifetime. From getting out and discovering new worlds with your nearest and dearest, to the beach days you never want to end – there are so many special moments to cherish.

For 43% of families, holidays are predominantly about creating new memories together. However, these wonderful memories unfortunately don’t plan themselves, and planning any trip abroad can be a stressful experience, let alone when you’ve got the little ones in tow.

If you don’t take the necessary precautions, the difficulties often involved with the planning process can become overwhelming, ultimately impacting upon your mental wellbeing. By getting overly stressed about organising a holiday, you can easily leave a blemish on what is meant to be an enjoyable experience for yourself and the whole family.

In this latest blog post, we look into ways that you can take care of your mental health when planning a trip away, to ensure you remain calm and level-headed and make it a holiday to look forward to. Below, you can find a few tips to utilise when planning your next family trip abroad to ensure you're not neglecting your mental wellbeing.

Take Breaks

There's no denying that planning a family holiday can take up a considerable amount of your time. Whether it’s figuring out budgets, deciding on accommodation or marrying up travel plans and times, an overload of this information can leave you feeling stressed. The best way to overcome this is by avoiding long planning sessions and making sure to take breaks away to decompress.

Ask for Help

Planning a holiday doesn't have to be a one-person job. Taking on the task of planning a trip solo can feel like a lot of pressure that can soon become detrimental to your mental health. Instead, reach out to the family to collaborate in planning the trip. This can make the process more fun and make the trip even more exciting for the whole family.

For example, you could allocate specific tasks for planning the holiday to each family member. It’s also a great way to ensure everyone’s voices are heard, and you can guarantee that there’ll be something for everyone to look forward to.

Set Aside Specific Times for Planning

To avoid holiday planning from cutting too far into your personal time and social life, set aside specific times for sorting out your trip. These firm boundaries mean that you can protect your mental state from prolonged periods of stress or worrying about organising a great trip. Make sure to mix in a range of activities that are beneficial for your mental wellbeing overall.

Give yourself a time limit each day for planning to escape overwhelming and all-consuming feelings. Be sure to give yourself enough time in advance to allow for some time away from your planning duties and avoid any last-minute stresses. It’s recommended that for any big trips away, you should set aside at least six months to a year for the planning process.

To conclude, at the heart of all holiday planning should be excitement and fun. However, this can quickly vanish when you allow the stressful elements of holiday preparation to take over your life. By following some of our simple tips, you will be able to look forward to your next trip away with the whole family, as well as maintain a healthy and balanced mental state.

Bio: James Ritter

I am a freelance writer who holds a particular interest in European travel and have created content for established travel companies based all around the world. I have a degree in creative writing and am always eager to hear about new exciting experiences and places to go!