Stress & Holiday Pain Flare Ups!

Everyone around you is excited. They’ve been counting down for months. Social media is full of smiling airport selfies and tropical beaches.

So why do you feel tense before you’ve even left home?

Why is your pain flaring?
Why are you exhausted, anxious, irritable, or strangely emotional?

Please don’t assume I’m broken.

It’s just…I’m your nervous system.

As a Stress Illness Coach, I’d like to explain what’s happening.

I know you think we’re going on holiday.

From my perspective…

We’re entering survival mode.

You see adventure.

I see uncertainty.

You see a holiday.

I see hundreds of little changes arriving all at once.

And my job—whether you like it or not—is to notice anything unfamiliar that might require extra protection.

Not because danger is guaranteed…

But because that’s exactly what I evolved to do.

I love routines.

The same coffee.

The same route to work.

The same pillow.

The same supermarket.

The same sounds outside your bedroom.

The same people.

The same language.

The same smells.

The more familiar life feels, the more confidently I can relax.

Then…

You book a holiday.

Let’s look at it from my perspective.

We leave the house hours earlier than normal.

The roads are busier.

Parking is unfamiliar.

There are thousands of strangers.

Security checks.

Long queues.

Bright lights.

Loud announcements.

Children crying.

People rushing.

Unexpected delays.

My prediction system starts working overtime.

Now we’re sitting thousands of feet in the air.

The engine roars constantly.

Pressure changes.

Turbulence shakes us.

We can’t simply leave.

Our sleep routine disappears.

Meals happen at odd times.

Hydration changes.

Our breathing often becomes shallower.

Our body is sitting still for hours.

For me…

That’s a lot of information to process.

Now the signs are written in another language.

People behave differently.

The food smells unfamiliar.

The roads are different.

The weather changes.

The humidity changes.

Maybe it’s much hotter.

Maybe much colder.

Maybe we’re crossing time zones.

Now bedtime doesn’t match daylight.

Our digestion changes.

We sleep in a strange bed.

Different pillows.

Different noises.

Different lighting.

Different shower.

Different smells.

Different everything.

You think…

I think…

Here’s something I wish you knew.

Pain isn’t always a sign that tissues are damaged.

Sometimes pain is my way of increasing protection.

When I sense lots of uncertainty—even if none of it is dangerous—I may temporarily become more sensitive.

Not because your body is falling apart.

But because uncertainty often increases my level of vigilance.

Think of me like an overprotective smoke alarm.

When everything familiar changes at once, I turn the sensitivity dial up.

That can look like:

None of these automatically mean something has gone wrong.

Often, they mean I’m trying very hard to keep you safe.

I don’t need perfection.

I don’t need you to cancel the holiday.

I just need little reminders that we’re okay.

Here are some of my favourite things.

You don’t have to rush through the airport because everyone else is.

The slower you move, the safer I often feel.

Walk instead of sprinting whenever possible.

A favourite jumper.

Your usual water bottle.

A familiar playlist.

The same hand cream.

A comforting snack.

These aren’t silly comforts.

They’re signals of familiarity.

And familiarity calms me.

When you’re anxious, breathing often becomes quicker and shallower.

A few slow, gentle breaths—especially with a longer exhale—can reassure me that there isn’t an immediate emergency.

No fancy techniques required.

Just slower than before.

Even while travelling, keep small routines.

Morning stretches.

Your usual cup of tea.

Reading before bed.

Listening to the same relaxing music.

Tiny routines tell me,

Instead of getting trapped inside anxious thoughts…

Help me notice the environment.

What colours can you see?

Can you feel your feet on the floor?

What sounds can you hear?

Can you spot something beautiful?

When I can orient to my surroundings, I gather evidence that we’re safe, not just different.

Please don’t wait until you’re completely overwhelmed.

Sit down.

Drink some water.

Eat regularly.

Stretch.

Take quiet moments.

Recovery isn’t a reward.

It’s maintenance.

Instead of saying:

Try saying:

That simple shift reduces the sense of threat.

Because feeling unsettled doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means I’m doing my job.

Please don’t get angry with me when I become protective.

I’m not trying to ruin your holiday.

I’m trying to help you survive it using a system that evolved thousands of years ago—long before airports, security scanners, jet lag, or all-inclusive resorts existed.

Give me time.

Offer me patience.

Keep showing me evidence that we’re safe.

The more calm, familiar experiences we have while travelling, the more I’ll learn that airports, flying, new cultures, different languages, unfamiliar beds, and adventure can all be safe too.

And little by little…

I’ll stop sounding the alarm so loudly.

With love,

Your Nervous System  xx