Leisure Sickness: How To Save Your Vacation

Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.

More posts by Luise Heine All content is checked by medical journalists.

Your vacation has barely started and are you already sick in bed? The so-called Leisure Sickness hails many people in need of relaxation, at least for the first hard-earned holiday week. But there are tricks with which you can not only go healthier on vacation, but also save some of the relaxation in everyday life for as long as possible.

Good bye stress, hello sickness

“Leisure Sickness” translates as “leisure sickness”, in other words: No sooner has the great pressure of job or household falls from the shoulders than the body reports sick. The spectrum of complaints ranges from general weakness to diffuse pain to feverish coughs, runny nose or migraines. Then the frustration is doubled.

But where does leisure sickness come from and who is most affected? Researchers at Tilburg University in the Netherlands conducted a survey and found that the phenomenon is relatively common, around 3.5 percent of the men surveyed and around 3 percent of the women found themselves using the term disease. People who have a high workload, are very ambitious and show a high degree of responsibility at work are apparently particularly susceptible.

There are several explanations for the origin of "Leisure Sickness": On the one hand, your own body perception is changed on vacation. Some people suspect that you simply pay more attention to the niggle in a deck chair than in the high-stress work phase. Others believe that subconscious feelings of guilt could play a bad role in the body - the psyche thus radiates into the physical. Another thesis: After the stress, the immune system, which was fighting bravely until the last day of work, simply brushed the sails.

After all, we know that on the one hand stress makes you more susceptible to infections, for example, but on the other hand it suppresses the direct immune response via the stress hormone cortisol. If the load drops and the cortisol level drops, the immune system really gets going. Unfortunately, then exactly on the most beautiful beach in Mallorca.

No connection under this number!

This is exactly why it is so important that you impose a few rules on yourself when you are on vacation. Just look at your smartphone again and check work emails - this can seriously disrupt your recovery. "In order to relax, it is important to be able to switch off," says vacation researcher Dr. Gerhard Blasche from the Medical University of Vienna in conversation with . To distance yourself internally from work also means not to concern yourself with it anymore.

So, even if it is tempting to keep up to date, keep your hands off your work email account! Your boss will also benefit from it when you are relaxed and can start again with fresh energy.

Nature is pure relaxation

Because the fact is: Many holidaymakers don't get the relaxation they'd been hoping for. At least that was the result of the big vacation report 2013 on behalf of the DAK health insurance. But you definitely have an influence on that. For example, by carefully considering where you want to go. Maybe into the green? At least most of the respondents in the report, who were satisfied with the recreational effects of their vacation, said that the sun and nature in particular had benefited their spirits.But the time with the family (71 percent), time for yourself (70 percent) and the change of location (64 percent) made the relaxation perfect for the participants.

“Something else is relaxing for everyone,” says Blasche, too. For you this means: plan what you enjoy while on vacation. If you are not traveling alone, you should try to negotiate compromises. A day at the beach is then alternated with a tour of the city. Or, you just go your separate ways from time to time - and have a lot to talk about at dinner together in the evening.

Glide smoothly into everyday life

At some point even the most beautiful vacation comes to an end and everyday (work) life awaits you again. In order to maintain the recovery effect for as long as possible, it is important that you get back to everyday life "gently" after the break. The following applies: Anyone who can take some relaxation breaks in the first week at work will enjoy the positive holiday feeling for longer.

You can take this into account before your vacation. For example, treat yourself to a day or two off at home between travel and work. Then you can relax and wash your laundry, sort the mail and arrive in peace. Or make sure that your vacation replacement can continue projects in your absence and that you do not have to work through one appointment after the other immediately after your return.

Recovery cannot be saved!

Fully charge the "batteries" while on vacation and then power it all over again - unfortunately that doesn't work that way. The vacation expert has a nice comparison: “When you have slept enough, you feel very good. But that doesn't mean that you won't need any sleep for the next few days - it cannot be saved. "

But what you can save from your vacation into everyday life is the feeling of serenity. That means consciously indulging in relaxation breaks. By the way: Those who are also physically active on vacation obviously help themselves to a longer recovery effect. "This promotes your cardiovascular function and is more stress-resistant when you return to your daily work," says Blasche.

Juchu - anticipation!

Are you sad that your vacation is over again? Then just plan your next one right away! A Dutch study has shown that future holidaymakers are happier than people who are not planning to travel. As soon as the vacation was over, the two groups hardly differed in their feelings of happiness. The only exception were travelers who had enjoyed a very relaxed holiday, they were able to save the good feeling a little bit into everyday life. The recommendation of the vacation expert also fits in with this: "Treat yourself to several small breaks per year." You often have something to look forward to.

Dangerous travel souvenirs

However, if you are traveling in warmer climes, you can take an undesirable travel souvenir home with you. When it comes to nasty tropical diseases, travelers most often bring malaria home with them. That is the result of an international study. If you have a fever after your vacation, you should pay attention, especially if you've been on vacation in West Africa or India before.

Repeated, acute diarrhea, in turn, can be triggered by flagellates, for example. Travelers pick up these small parasites particularly frequently in holiday countries such as India, Egypt, Turkey or Africa. Contaminated drinking water or poor food hygiene are to blame. It is therefore imperative that you tell your doctor when and where you were on vacation during treatment, as this often means that completely different diagnoses can be considered.

Donation pants on vacation

Still depressed that the vacation is over? Then perhaps the study by economist Klauswertebroch will help you as a consolation: According to this, foreign currencies increase the temptation to spend more money. Especially in countries that have high numbers on their bills for small values, holidaymakers seem to have less money. So there is one good thing about your homecoming - it gives you a feel for the currency and better control over your spending. And you can save, for example on your next vacation.

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