by Alex Harris, Content Team contributor

For many people, holidays are something to look forward to. They’re often associated with relaxation, sunshine and a break from everyday life. Starting something new such as a new job, a university course or moving home is also usually described as exciting.

But if you live with anxiety, these experiences can bring a very different set of emotions. Instead of excitement, you might feel dread. Instead of relaxing, you may find yourself constantly worrying. If this sounds familiar, you’re certainly not alone.

Although holidays are a break from work or study, they also take us away from our usual routines. For many people, routines provide a sense of safety and predictability. Anxiety often dislikes uncertainty, so when familiar patterns disappear, it can become much louder and difficult to ignore.

You may worry about travelling or flying, being away from home, or feeling trapped or unable to leave. Some people even feel guilty because they believe that they should be having a wonderful time. This can create extra pressure, in turn, making anxiety feel even more overwhelming.

It’s important to remember that feeling anxiety doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful or that you’ve “ruined” your holiday. It simply means your brain is responding to uncertainty in the way that it has learnt to.

Change involves stepping into the unknown. Our brains naturally try to predict what will happen next. When they can’t, anxiety often fills in the blanks with worst-case scenarios. You might find yourself thinking things such as “What if I can’t cope? What if people don’t like me? What if I fail?”

But the reality is that nobody starts something new already knowing exactly what they’re doing. You don’t have to eliminate anxiety before doing something new. Often, confidence comesafter taking the first step rather than before it.

Some strategies that may help include:

Keep some familiar routines. Even on holiday or during a big life change, try to maintain a few comforting habits. This might be your morning coffee, a short walk, listening to your favourite music or practising relaxation techniques. Small routines can provide a sense of stability when everything else feels unfamiliar.

Focus on the next step. Anxiety likes to think ten steps ahead. Instead of worrying about the whole holiday or your entire first month in a new role, ask yourself: “What’s the next small thing I need to do?”. Breaking things down into manageable pieces often makes them feel much less overwhelming.

Expect some discomfort. It’s easy to believe that feeling anxious means something is wrong. In reality, anxiety often accompanies change because your brain is adjusting to something unfamiliar. Feeling nervous doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve made the wrong decision – it may simply mean you’re doing something that matters to you.

Be kind to yourself. If you need breaks, take them. If you need quiet time on holiday, that’s OK. If your first week in a new job isn’t perfect, that’s OK too. Progress doesn’t have to look flawless.

Think back to something that once felt impossible but is now part of everyday life. Perhaps it was your first day at school, your driving test, your first day at work or moving away from home. At one point, those experiences probably felt daunting too.

Anxiety often tells us that we need certainty before we can move forward. Unfortunately, life rarely offers complete certainty. The good news is that we don’t need certainty to cope.

Every holiday taken despite anxious thoughts, every first day completed and every new experience faced is evidence that anxiety doesn’t get to make all of your decisions.

Change can be uncomfortable, but it can also bring growth, confidence and opportunities that you never expected.

So, if you’re feeling anxious about your next holiday or a new chapter in life, remember: courage isn’t the absence of anxiety, but instead, choosing to take the next step anyway.