How to deal with pre-holiday anxiety if you’re worried about the travel rules changing

The dreaded amber plus list has lots of people nervous about their summer holidays.

Summer holidays can be hectic, and this year travelling abroad is undoubtedly more challenging than usual.

Maybe you’ve booked a holiday to somewhere on the green list, or perhaps you’ve gone for amber and currently won’t have to self-isolate on your return as you’re double jabbed. However, things seem to change so quickly, you still might not get the holiday you bargained for.

There’s a chance your destination could be added to  an amber plus list (only France is on this one at the moment) and reports suggest some countries with concerning coronavirus data could be put on the red list at short notice.

The uncertainty of it all can be stressful and overshadow your pre-holiday preparations. If you’re worried about what’s going to happen to your getaway, keep these things in mind…

Be prepared

While you can’t control what the government decides, you can take charge of everything else – and that might give you a bit of comfort.

Make sure you know exactly what you have to get sorted before going abroad – the tests you’ll need to take ahead of time and what forms you’ll need to prepare. It can get quite complicated as demands differ from country to country, so it’s a good idea to wrap your head around the details as soon as possible.

A positive mental attitude will help here: operate under the assumption your holiday is going ahead, and do all the necessary preparations for it. It’s likely been a while since you’ve gone on a trip, so take a bit of time to check everything off your list: has your sunscreen expired? Do you still have a little plastic bag for liquids? Where on earth did you put your swimsuit?

Seek calm

If you find anxiety building up, take some time to re-centre yourself. This might involve meditation, going for a long walk, reading your book – anything to take you out of that stressful space and feel more zen.

Focus on the positives

Holidays are meant to be fun – they’re an opportunity to unwind, recharge and see new places. Try not to let your precious vacation time be overshadowed by stress and anxiety.

Focusing on the positives will hopefully prevent a pre-holiday spiral. After all, you’ve taken the time off work – hopefully you can spend it splashing around a pool in Spain, but if not, it’s still a break from the day-to-day grind.