Leisure sickness: When employees regularly get sick while on vacation
Created: 07/13/2022, 12:06 p.m
By: Judith Brown
Anyone who reliably lies in bed exhausted at the weekend and falls ill before the holiday could suffer from what is known as leisure time sickness.
Hamburg – Powering to the point of exhaustion at work, being there for the family 24/7 and then a pandemic comes on top of that: There are many reasons why people are currently longing for a break and vacation.
But when the time has finally come, the suitcases are already packed and departure is imminent, many employees suddenly fall ill.
This phenomenon is also called "leisure sickness" and can be a harbinger of depression or burnout.
Leisure sickness: When employees regularly get sick while on vacation
Some employees regularly get sick before or during vacation.
This is what is known as leisure time sickness.
(Iconic image) © Action Pictures/IMAGO
Leisure sickness means leisure sickness.
However, the name, which came from a research team led by psychologist Ad Vingerhoets from the Dutch University of Tilburg, could be a bit misleading at first.
After all, it's not leisure time that makes you sick, but the constant stress before it - which is what the body then reacts to.
"In many highly clocked people, the autonomic nervous system, consisting of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, is constantly trimmed to escape," explains stress and fatigue researcher Prof. Michael Stark from Hamburg.
When the sympathetic nervous system is activated in times of stress, we are highly concentrated and our heart beats faster.
After that, however, we should leave the field to the parasympathetic again.
However, many people sometimes do not succeed in this because, according to Stark, they often find it difficult to switch back and relax after work.
The result is an increased adrenaline and cortisol level.
The stress hormones only decrease when we are on a longer break, such as on vacation or at the weekend.
When we calm down more ourselves, the body shuts down again to find balance.
"Some would then prefer to only sleep for three days, other people react with fever, back pain or migraine attacks," says the stress researcher.
Sick on vacation and during leisure time: perfectionists often suffer from leisure sickness
Recreational illness mostly affects people who are under pressure and stress and work in a challenging work environment.
In addition, they often have a high sense of responsibility, are perfectionists and ambitious as well as permanently available.
But not everyone who has had to go on vacation sick suffers from the phenomenon.
also read
Toothpaste at Stiftung Warentest: Is your toothpaste one of the test winners or losers?
Strict upbringing shrinks children's brains: study explains the phenomenon
However, those for whom the pattern repeats itself should be concerned: For example, if employees regularly lie in bed exhausted at the weekend and become ill before the holiday.
Leisure sickness can be a warning sign of burnout or depression.
Prof. Stark therefore recommends listening to your body and noticing possible warning signals.
“It's like driving a car when the red light comes on on the dashboard.
Then it’s time to step off the gas and drive to the next gas station.”
You can find even more exciting health topics in the free 24vita newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
In this way you can prevent states of exhaustion
In order to prevent leisure sickness syndrome, recovery should not be postponed until vacation.
You can also find peace and relaxation in everyday life if you create the opportunities for it.
During these times, you can use the following tools to build a protective shield against stress:
Exercise: After work, go for a walk or find an exercise you enjoy.
If you hate jogging, set small goals and discover your love for running.
However, any other sport that you enjoy will do as well.
The main thing is that you move, because movement helps you to relax better.
Separating work and leisure: Clear boundaries between work and leisure are important and help you to be able to switch back better.
Small rituals that separate the end of work and the beginning of the end of the day can help.
This plays an important role, especially in the home office.
For example, turn up your favorite song to ring in the evening or do a stretching exercise.
Breathe: Reduce stress hormones by doing breathing exercises.
For example, take a deep breath in and out ten times.
With it you can reduce stress and relax better.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
