You wait months for your well-deserved vacation – and when it finally comes, you’re in bed with a cold, fever and a sore throat. It’s not necessarily a coincidence. Here you can find out why the immune system often weakens at the start of the holiday.
Don’t get sick now! That’s what many people think when the holidays approach.
When the time finally comes, everything turns out differently. A runny nose, headache or stomach flu keep you in bed. The planned vacation? In the bucket. It is estimated that one in five people has suffered from “Leisure Sickness Syndrome” – the technical jargon for being sick during the holidays – at least once. But where does that come from?
Too much stress before your vacation can make you sick
Stress causes the body to release large amounts of the stress hormone cortisol. It keeps illnesses at bay and ensures that the immune system works at full speed. This is how the last forces are mobilized to deliver the required performance.
If the pressure falls, the production of the stress hormone is reduced. This causes the hormonal balance to become unbalanced and the immune system to shut down.
The body uses the “rest phase” to regenerate itself. However, what is very important for the body also makes it vulnerable – not only to viruses and bacteria, but also to heart disease, for example. This explains why extremely stressed people often suffer heart attacks in their free time rather than at work.
Getting sick on vacation affects many people
Shortly before vacation, many people’s stress levels rise massively – at work, but also in their private lives. You definitely want to get everything done, prepared and organized before you go on vacation. The signs of overexertion are easily overlooked in this phase. You will then receive the receipt for this on vacation.
However, not all people are equally susceptible. This particularly affects people who are very stressed at work and have difficulty switching off in the evenings or on weekends. These can be managers, but also employees in other positions or self-employed people. Shift workers are also often affected because the changing working hours increase the stress level in the body.
Recognize signals and pay attention to your body
Once you’re sick, it’s too late. It is therefore important to recognize the signals early. Do you feel constantly stressed? Do you have trouble relaxing in the evening? Do your thoughts constantly revolve around work, even in your free time?
Then you should perhaps talk to your superiors to find a way to relieve yourself. A healthy work-life balance can also help. This may sound banal, but if you have a good balance, it is easier to detach yourself from work. You can also practice relaxation with the help of breathing exercises, meditation or yoga. Sport is also an important component: those who exercise regularly or go for walks can switch off better.