When School Holidays Throw Routine Out the Window: A Hypnotherapist’s Honest Take on Easter Break

As a hypnotherapist, I spend a lot of time talking to clients about stress, overwhelm, routine, and how important it is to give the brain the right conditions to cope well.

And then the Easter holidays arrived… and, like many parents, I found myself living all of that in real time.

This year felt a little different for me, because my daughter is in Reception, which means school holidays now come with a whole new level of juggling. Trying to balance work, family time, childcare, one-to-one moments, keeping small people entertained, and somehow still finding a little bit of time to breathe yourself… it’s a lot.

The truth is, the holidays were full. Really full.

But they were also a really good reminder of something I often talk about in the therapy room: life doesn’t have to be perfectly calm to support your mental wellbeing. Sometimes it’s about finding small moments of regulation, connection, joy, and rest within the chaos.

The reality of two weeks off

Our Easter break started on Good Friday, and in true “mum life” fashion, it began with a trip to the osteopath! Which was actually a really good reminder that sometimes we’re carrying more tension than we may realise.

I’ve always gone to chiropractors in the past, but after meeting Esther at Wrington Vale Osteopath Clinic through networking, I felt like I had to give it a go. I’m so glad I did. I can honestly say I’m a convert. My back hasn’t felt this good in years, and she found issues I didn’t even realise I had. That alone was a reminder that sometimes we can be carrying more tension than we realise, until somebody helps us notice it.

From there, it was straight back into family mode. Time at home with the kids, lots of artwork created by my daughter, and the start of what turned into a very packed two weeks.

There were birthday parties (including one aptly named The Wild Things, which felt very fitting when surrounded by a room full of energetic five-year-olds), Easter egg hunts in the garden, roast dinners, beach trips, soft play, splash parks, gymnastics, the cinema, mini golf, birthday parties in village halls, and the kind of “running riot” energy only small children seem able to sustain for hours.

There were also work days in between, with hypnotherapy sessions and initial consultations still running alongside family life, which is where the real balancing act comes in. I know I won’t be the only parent who feels that mental switch between “professional mode” and “mum mode” can be exhausting in itself.

Why the holidays can feel surprisingly overwhelming

On paper, school holidays are meant to be fun. And they can be.

But they can also quietly pile pressure on in ways we don’t always talk about.

The routine changes. Bedtimes shift. Normal structure disappears. You’re trying to make memories, keep everyone entertained, manage the house, maybe still work, maybe still parent a toddler who absolutely doesn’t care that the day is already packed, and still somehow be a patient, emotionally available human being.

That’s a lot for any nervous system.

One of the things I often explain to clients is that the brain likes familiarity and predictability. Routine helps the mind feel safe. It reduces the amount of decision-making and mental load we’re carrying.

So when school holidays arrive and all of that goes out the window, it makes complete sense that parents can feel more snappy, more tired, more overstimulated, or more emotionally stretched than usual.

It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.

It means you’re human.

The moments that regulate us often look simple

What struck me over these two weeks was how often the best moments for my own wellbeing weren’t the big, polished ones.

They were the simple things.

Walking in the Mendips around Bleadon and properly noticing the place I live instead of just rushing through it. Stopping by a river, filming content, and very nearly ending up wet trying to cross where the path suddenly stopped. Taking the kids to the park and watching my son go down his first ever slide and instantly fall in love with it.

They were the one-to-one mum-and-daughter days, whether that was soft play when we nearly had the place to ourselves, fish and chips on the beach in Burnham-on-Sea, arcade games and ice creams in the sunshine, or a trip to the cinema followed by pirate mini golf and followed by my daughter forcing me onto a very large Ferris wheel because apparently motherhood occasionally requires bravery in very unexpected forms.

They were the family moments too. An Easter egg hunt led by our five-year-old, my toddler following along closely in tow. A roast dinner with a pork loin joint and my speciality Yorkshire puddings, which the kids demolished. A family movie night on the lounge floor with a picky tea and The Lego Batman Movie.

Those are the moments that matter.

And from a mental health perspective, they matter because they regulate us more than we often realise.

Connection regulates us.
Movement regulates us.
Fresh air regulates us.
But also Laughter, novelty and fun regulate us too.

Not because they make life perfect, but because they give the brain evidence that life is safe, enjoyable, and manageable.

Why movement matters more than we think

Something else that really stood out over the Easter break was how much better I felt when I kept moving.

That showed up in obvious ways, like walking, exploring, and getting outside with the kids, but also in the little “me time” pockets I made space for.

Anyone who knows me well will know I’m a huge Pokémon Go fan (and if you didn’t know that before, now you do!). I’ve been a day-one player, and one of the things I genuinely love about it is the community. It brings together such a huge range of people, varying in all ages from children to retirees, and gives you a reason to get outside, walk, explore, and be sociable.

Across the holidays, I squeezed in a few events and community days, and although it might sound like “just a game” to some people, it’s actually a brilliant example of something I talk about often: wellbeing doesn’t always have to look serious.

Sometimes it looks like walking around in the fresh air, chatting to people, getting your steps in, and feeling ridiculously pleased because you finally found the shiny you’ve been after for ages.

That still counts.

In fact, it matters.

Movement is one of the simplest ways we can support both body and mind. It helps burn off stress hormones, improves mood, supports sleep, and creates a bit of space in the mind.

The same was true when I tackled Brean Down and the WWII fort, something I’d wanted to do for years but had previously avoided because of an old ankle injury and the number of stairs involved. Because I’ve been taking better care of my health lately, and walking more regularly, I finally felt able to do it.

And I was so pleased I did.

That kind of moment is about much more than the walk itself. It’s proof to yourself that progress is happening. That your body is capable. That the things that once felt out of reach can become possible again.

That’s powerful.

Connection matters too

Another thing I’m always talking about, both personally and professionally, is the importance of connection.

We often underestimate how much we need it.

Across the holidays, that showed up in so many different ways: networking events that left me buzzing with ideas, catching up with other parents, children’s parties, meeting lovely people out on walks, seeing my daughter with her friends, and even the shared fun of community events.

It also showed up in the quieter moments. Those one-to-one time with my daughter, watching her learn, seeing her experience things for the first time, and making those little “core memory” moments that feel so ordinary in the moment and so important when you stop and think about them.

When we’re stressed, overwhelmed, or stuck in survival mode, the brain can become very narrowed in its focus. Everything becomes about what needs doing next.

Connection pulls us out of that.

It reminds us there is more to life than the to-do list.

The pressure to “make the most of it”

I think a lot of parents will relate to this one.

There’s often this unspoken pressure during school holidays to make the most of it. To fill the days. To create magical memories. To do the trips, the activities, the photos, the fun.

And while some of that is genuinely lovely, it can also become another form of pressure.

What I’ve learnt (and am still learning) is that children don’t necessarily need every day to be a huge event.

Sometimes what they’ll remember is:

• chips on the beach
• an Easter egg hunt in the garden
• a first trip down the slide
• running around at a village hall party
• a bright pink, first pedal bike
• picky tea on the lounge floor watching a film together

Those things count just as much as the bigger outings.

Maybe more.

And I think that’s an important reminder for adults too. We don’t need to be “on” all the time. We don’t need to do everything perfectly. We don’t need to earn rest by exhausting ourselves first.

What the Easter holidays reminded me of

Looking back, these two weeks were busy, messy, fun, tiring, lovely, and absolutely full.

There was family time, one-to-one daughter time, work, walking, sunshine, therapy sessions, networking, beaches, birthday parties, osteopath appointments, and a healthy amount of trying to keep up with small children who seem to have endless energy.

But underneath all of that, there were some really important reminders:

• Routine matters, but when it changes, it’s normal to feel it.
• Movement matters, this is not for punishment or productivity, but because it genuinely helps us feel better.
• Connection matters, whether that’s with family, friends, community, or just ourselves.
• Small moments matter, these are often the most regulating ones.
• You can love the holidays and still find them overwhelming.
• You don’t have to do it perfectly for it to be meaningful.

That last one might be the most important of all.

A gentle reminder if the holidays have left you frazzled

If the school holidays have left you feeling more tired, emotional, snappy, overstimulated, or just a little “done”… you’re not alone.

That doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

It probably just means your brain and body have been doing a lot.

Sometimes we need a reminder that overwhelm doesn’t always come from one big dramatic thing. Sometimes it comes from lots of lovely things, layered on top of responsibility, noise, decision-making, disrupted routines, and very little space to fully switch off.

And that’s exactly why support matters.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in stress, constantly on edge, mentally overloaded, or like your brain never quite gets a chance to settle, solution focused hypnotherapy can help you create that space again. So that life feels more manageable, more balanced, and more like you.