Holiday meltdown: why going on holiday together is often a source of stress

Author:

Mgr. and Bc. Radek Němec

Summer is approaching, and with it the season of family vacations – a time that we often idealize as moments of comfort, laughter, and mutual understanding. But the reality can be different. For many families, vacations are more of a time of tension than relaxation. Instead of calm, arguments, misunderstandings, and exhaustion come. Why does the much-anticipated time together turn into an emotionally tense situation that some call a “holiday meltdown” or a time when we wonder if we are in the right relationship?

One reason is that in normal operation, the daily hustle and bustle hides dysfunctional patterns, unresolved conflicts and simple alienation. But when routine, work and school are gone on holiday, the family system finds itself in a new setting – without external leaks. And that is when what otherwise remains hidden often surfaces. Each family member comes with different ideas and needs, while the structure that the brain is used to is missing. Instead of rest, they experience stress. The brain does not perceive the new environment as relaxation, but as a risk. The loss of routine and spending time together without breaks increases internal tension. Holidays often reveal how little we know how to be together. It is no coincidence that in the summer there is an increase in partner conflicts, aggravation of relationships with children and more frequent exhaustion of parents. We often set unrealistic expectations for ourselves – we want perfect moments, amazing photos on Instagram, happy children and peaceful well-being. But reality tends to be noisier, more chaotic and more emotionally raw. Parents feel overwhelmed and guilty, children lose confidence in an unfamiliar environment without rules, and everyone is suddenly together all the time – without the usual outlets.

That's why it makes sense to prepare for the holiday differently. With an open conversation. By sharing expectations. With a joint plan, where the voice of each family member can be heard. What do we really want from our time together? Do we want to relax, or experience intense moments together? And can we just be together - even in silence, without mobile phones and without pressure to perform? Family therapy offers a space where we can safely ask ourselves these questions - and where we can hear the answers of others. It is not a place to "repair broken relationships", but a space for prevention, care and understanding. It works like regular maintenance, like strengthening the foundations of a house that is supposed to handle the onslaught of time together. Family relationships are not a project that can be planned down to the last detail. They are a living, changing organism that needs attention, communication and sometimes even help from outside. A family holiday can then really be what it is supposed to be - a time of shared peace, not a crisis. Not because "everything will be solved", but because we can talk to each other. And hear each other.

If you feel your family is struggling with tension, misunderstandings, or you just want to prepare more consciously for your summer together, now may be the right time to turn to family or couples therapy. Prevention is not a weakness – it is the courage to want to have relationships in balance before they reach the limit of what can be tolerated.

Do you need help?

Neo Centrum

News