Why Holiday Travel Feels So Stressful — And How to Handle It

While the holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, warmth, and celebration, for many it also comes with a unique kind of stress — especially when travel is involved.

Between packed schedules, heightened expectations, and countless social obligations, adding travel to the mix can disrupt one’s sense of comfort, control, and predictability. The result? Anxiety,in irritability, and emotional exhaustion — commonly known as holiday travel stress.

What Is Holiday Travel Stress?

Muskan Marwah, Psychologist at Mpower–Aditya Birla Education Trust, explains that holiday travel stress refers to the mental and emotional strain people experience when preparing for or undertaking festive season trips.

“It’s more than just an inconvenience,” says Marwah. “It can show up physically through headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, or trouble sleeping, and emotionally as mood swings or burnout.”

Psychologically, it’s connected to how we perceive stressful situations, not just the situations themselves — a concept explained by cognitive appraisal theory.

Why Does Holiday Travel Stress Happen?

According to Marwah, several overlapping factors make holiday travel particularly stressful:

1. Crowds and unpredictability: Busy airports, congested roads, and overbooked hotels lead to delays, lost belongings, and missed connections — triggering a loss of control.
2. High expectations: Social media and pop culture paint an idealised holiday picture, setting unrealistic expectations. When travel mishaps happen, it can feel disappointing.
3. Disrupted routines: Travel often throws off sleeping, eating, and exercise habits — all essential for maintaining emotional balance.
4. Financial strain: The cost of flights, hotels, gifts, and festive dinners adds up, creating added pressure.
5. Family tensions: Reuniting with relatives can bring up unresolved issues or emotionally charged situations, especially in complex family setups.

How to Manage Holiday Travel Stress

Marwah suggests a few simple, proactive strategies to help ease holiday travel anxiety:

1. Plan early: Book flights and hotels ahead of time, pack smart, and expect minor delays. A backup plan can ease uncertainty.
2. Keep expectations realistic: Accept that things might not go perfectly, and focus on meaningful moments rather than flawless plans.
3. Prioritise self-care: Stick to a sleep and eating routine as much as possible. Pack comfort items like snacks, music, or a journal to make the journey easier.
4. Practice mindfulness: Simple breathing exercises or short meditations can calm you during hectic moments.
5. Create a feel-good playlist or video list: Have your go-to happy songs, funny videos, or calming podcasts ready for travel downtime.
6. Remember your purpose: Write a quick reminder note like, “I’m doing this to make memories” or “This is for family time.” Keep it handy — it can help bring calm perspective when stress creeps in.