There’s a comfort in knowing something good is coming, even if it’s months off. A holiday booked for next summer, a winter trip pencilled in for the new year – these markers in the calendar quietly improve how we feel right now.
Holidaymakers experience high pre-trip happiness largely because they’re anticipating the holiday itself. Anticipation, it turns out, isn’t just a pleasant side effect of planning ahead. It’s a genuine source of well-being in its own right.
Why Having Something to Look Forward To Matters
When we anticipate something exciting, our brains release dopamine (a pleasure neurotransmitter) and that anticipation can significantly impact our overall well-being. Beyond the chemistry, there’s a practical benefit, too: planning gives us a sense of control over the future, which can lower stress and anxiety and provide a sense of purpose and meaning.
A demanding fortnight at work feels different when there’s something on the horizon to step into mentally. Even a confirmation email in your inbox can make a tough workday feel noticeably lighter, breaking up routine just enough to keep motivation and balance in check.
The Unique Appeal of Planning a Future Holiday
Booking a holiday creates a fixed, reliable point of excitement in an otherwise unpredictable calendar, and the appeal isn’t limited to the trip itself. Imagining yourself somewhere new activates many of the same neural pathways as actually being there, meaning the mental rehearsal itself becomes a genuine source of happiness. Researching activities, working out what to pack: all of it becomes part of the enjoyment long before departure.
Seasonal trips carry a particular charge of their own. There’s something about a winter holiday in particular that rewards the wait; the contrast between grey, short days at home and the promise of mountains and crisp air ahead. Whether it’s a beach escape or a Tignes ski holiday, planning a trip months in advance can make the busiest weeks more manageable.
Why Anticipation Can Be Just as Powerful as the Trip Itself
Perhaps the most striking finding from happiness research is this: the lead-up can rival, or even outshine, the holiday itself. Many people are happier during the planning stages of a holiday than after taking one – we may simply delight in looking forward to a trip more than in looking back on it.
The more actively a person plans their trip (researching, comparing, imagining), the more they anticipate it, and the happier they feel as a result. And the benefits don’t vanish the moment you board the flight. Actively anticipating a holiday doesn’t just bring happiness beforehand; it also softens any disappointment afterwards, since nothing can take away the joy of simply looking forward to it.
So the next time you book something months in advance, know that you’re not just buying a holiday. You’re buying weeks, sometimes months, of something to look forward to.
