More than half of the Dutch go on holiday stressed

Only half of the Dutch go on holiday in a relaxed way. Stress hits young families the hardest: less than half go on holiday in a relaxed way. Young couples and the over-65s suffer the least from holiday stress. It is striking that holiday stress also strikes at night: more than half of the women sleep badly the night before departure, compared to only 27% of the men.

This is the conclusion of a recent survey of more than 1000 people that Nationale-Nederlanden commissioned from Direct Research.

Packing biggest stressor

Packing the suitcases is the biggest stress factor during the holiday preparations. This is especially the case for women and families with children: in both groups, 38% of those surveyed experience packing stress. The men, on the other hand, are much less affected by this: less than a quarter are concerned about the contents of their suitcase. And while leaving the house clean and safe also causes stress for 32% of women, only 14% of men worry about this.

Letting go of work proves difficult

Work also creates a lot of tension during the holiday preparations. One in five Dutch people experience stress when transferring and leaving work. More than 65% of all Dutch people under the age of 40 even take work with them on holiday. Much to the dismay of their partners: only 3% indicated that it is not a problem if their other half is on holiday at work.

Carefree holiday with three tips

How do you ensure that the preparations for your holiday are as carefree as the holiday itself:

Tip 1: Pack late
The research shows that people who pack their suitcase later experience less stress. So pack your suitcase 1 to 3 days before departure. Use a list if you are afraid of forgetting something.

Tip 2: Make yourself at home
A quarter of the Dutch are concerned about leaving their home safely behind, for example in connection with a burglary. But you already deter burglars by pretending that you are at home. Put lights on a timer, have your mail picked up, and keep curtains open.

Tip 3: Phone off, holiday mode on
The simplest tip, but difficult: turn off the work phone. And if you really need to be reachable, limit yourself to half an hour in the morning.