Don’t Fall Victim to “Leisure Sickness” these Holidays

More than 1,7 million South Africans might be prone to a modern-day phenomenon known as ‘Leisure Sickness’ affecting mainly workaholics, overachievers and perfectionists.

It’s a medical condition that strikes the moment you go on a long-awaited holiday that has sufferers experiencing anything from nausea to migraines, muscular pains and colds and flu-like symptoms, which could last for weeks.

Nicole Jennings, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics – a leading provider of colds and flu medication – says it’s unlikely that leisure sickness is a new occurrence, but rather that today’s scientists are starting to pay more attention to it, along with other so-called modern-day conditions, such as seasonal affective disorder, yuppie flu and the like.

Leisure Sickness

“Leisure sickness was first identified by the Dutch when researchers at Tilburg University conducted a study among 1 128 men and 765 women between the ages of 16 and 87 and found that about 3 % of the population suffered from ‘weekend’ or ‘vacation sickness’. Since then, more in-depth studies have been done to better understand the underlying causes.

“Scientists believe that overachievers and people who generally have a high workload, along with an over-developed sense of responsibility toward work are more susceptible to the condition. When at work your body is in a state of defence, since it requires your complete focus, but when you’re on leave, your defence mechanism relaxes, and you become more vulnerable to illness,” explains Jennings.

Jennings says, “As is the case with many other illnesses, our body often gives us clues early on that something is wrong. If you suffer from leisure sickness and often find yourself spending weekends or holidays in bed as a result of a cold or numbing migraine, you need to take action.”

She suggests the following tips to keep leisure sickness safely tucked away:

  • If you find yourself constantly responding to your boss and colleagues’ demands and expectations by working through every lunch hour and into the night, rushing from one meeting to the next, hardly giving yourself time to go to the bathroom and putting personal needs aside, you are likely to have an overdeveloped sense of responsibility toward work, putting you at risk of leisure sickness.
    Set boundaries by making a list of the things you can say no to, delay or delegate and make room for things that make you happy – every day. This practice allows the brain to focus on important tasks when it needs to, while also relaxing, so your body isn’t ‘shocked’ by the sudden downtime of a holiday.
  • Evaluate whether your workload is too heavy. If it consistently interferes with your relationships, personal and family time, make a change.
    Aside from leisure sickness, unhealthy work habits lead to increased stress and burnout, which can trigger high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, accelerated aging, weight gain and lowered immunity.
  • Avoid working long hours right up to the start of your annual leave. Instead build in buffer days so you’re able to ease into and out of the holidays more gradually.
  • Exercise regularly during the week to help your body get into a rhythm of relaxation so when you do go on holiday that your body is accustomed to winding down. Also refrain from working over the weekends.
  • Practice active relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or yoga to avoid piled up stress, rather than vegging in front of the TV or surfing the Internet.
  • Set aside time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music during the workweek or weekends, which not only helps you to unwind, but aids in work-life balance.
  • If you’re traveling, prepare for time zone changes by timing your sleep as close as you can with when it’s night time to wherever you’re headed. Also pay for a good night’s rest if you can by booking decent accommodation.
    Enough sleep is critical for optimal immune function.

“To be the picture of good health this festive season – whether you’re spending it at some far-flung, exotic destination or at home – it’s best to increase your intake of healthy food, fluids and immune-boosting supplements, while keeping up proper hygiene practices to ward off nasty viruses wanting to take advantage of your well-deserved holiday,” advises Jennings.

These articles are for information purposes only. It cannot replace the diagnosis of a healthcare provider. Pharma Dynamics gives no warranty as to the accuracy of the information contained in such articles and shall not, under any circumstances, be liable for any consequences which may be suffered as a result of a user’s reliance thereon.

The information the reader is about to be referred to may not comply with the South Africa regulatory requirements. Information relevant to the South African environment is available from the Company and in the Professional Information/Patient Information Leaflet/Instructions for Use approved by the Regulatory Authority.

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