Leisure Sickness: This is why we often get sick during the holidays.

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“Please, please don’t get sick now” is probably what many people are thinking right now. Because the timing couldn’t be worse: The holidays are approaching, you want to go to the mountains or travel abroad. But conditions for the disease couldn’t be better: The year is coming to an end, everyone is stressed and looking forward to the holidays. When the time finally comes, everything is different. A runny nose, headache or stomach flu keeps you in bed. Vacation planned? In the bucket. It is estimated that one in five people at least once suffers from “Leisure Sickness Syndrome,” which is technical jargon for being sick during the holidays. So where does this come from?

Hormones are unbalanced

We’ve already mentioned the culprit: stress. It causes the body to release large amounts of the stress hormone cortisol. It keeps diseases at bay and keeps our immune system working at full speed. This is how the final forces are mobilized to ensure the required performance. This is probably also due to evolution: someone who runs away cannot afford to be weak. If the pressure drops, the production of the stress hormone decreases. This causes the hormonal balance to deteriorate and the immune system to shut down. The body uses the “rest phase” to regenerate itself. But the things that are so important to the body also make it vulnerable. Not only for viruses and bacteria, but also for heart diseases, for example. This explains why overly stressed people have heart attacks in their free time rather than at work.

A syndrome that affects many people

Shortly before the holidays, many people’s stress levels greatly increase, both at work and in their personal lives. You definitely want everything to be done, prepared and organized before you go on vacation. Signs of overexertion can easily be missed at this stage. You will receive a receipt for this later on holiday. But not all people are equally sensitive. This particularly affects people who are very stressed at work and have difficulty leaving work in the evenings or on weekends. These may be managers, but also employees in other positions or self-employed people. Shift workers are also often affected, as changing working hours increases the level of stress in the body.

Take care of your body

Once you get sick, it’s too late. Therefore, it is important to recognize the signals early. Do you constantly feel stressed? Having trouble relaxing in the evenings? Do your thoughts constantly revolve around work, even in your free time? Then maybe you should talk to your superiors to find a way to reassure yourself. A healthy work-life balance can also help. This may sound mundane, but if you have good balance, it’s easier to detach yourself from work. You can also train for relaxation using breathing exercises, meditation or yoga. Sport is also an important component: Those who exercise regularly or go for walks are better able to deplete their energy.

Source : Blick