MAKE THE MOST of your holidays

A break from the routine can prove wonderfully beneficial for your wellbeing. Caroline Butterwick learns how to side-step the stress of travel anxiety, and gets set to make some magical new memories...

- Caroline Butterwick

I'm on a plane for a much-anticipated trip to Italy, and my heart is racing: is my passport still in my bag after my last check 10 minutes ago? What if I've messed up the hotel booking? Will we be able to get a taxi from the airport? What if I get sick while we're away?

As much as I love it, travel can be stressful. Being 36,000 feet in the air is part of it, of course, but each stage of planning this holiday has also made me nervous.

Whether you're jetting off for a trip of a lifetime, enjoying a European city break, or making the most of what we have here in the UK, for many of us, holidays are something we love. And after the disruption of the pandemic, making the most of our precious time away seems all the more important.

Most of us know firsthand how much joy holidays can bring. And there's science to back up why travel is good for our health and wellbeing. Travel often means trying new things, from learning phrases in another language to experiencing a new place or trying different foods.

'All of this increases neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form new synaptic connections, explains Dr Noreen Nguru, a wellness travel consultant. And when you're in these situations in which you push yourself out of your comfort zone, you're increasing confidence in your own problem-solving skills, and enhancing your general feeling of personal accomplishment.'