The famous “paradise syndrome” or “leisure diseases”.
Frustrating, if not downright annoying: we look forward to the holidays and when they finally arrive, we get sick. This phenomenon is not uncommon since it affects 4% of men and 3% of women, according to Ad Vingerhoets, a Dutch psychologist, former professor at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, and above all the first to theorize the concept in the early 2000s by giving it the name “Paradise Syndrome” or “leisure sickness”. But is it a simple coincidence or is there a real physiological explanation?
To learn more about this phenomenon, the psychologist interviewed a representative sample of the Dutch population of 1,128 men and 765 women. The questions covered symptoms, their occurrence, duration, appreciation of weekend and holiday activities and appreciation of work and workload.The most commonly reported symptoms were headache/migraine, fatigue, muscle pain and nausea. In addition, viral infections (flu, colds) were often reported in connection with the holidays.“, the author describes in the journal Psychotherapy & Psychosomatic.
“Obviously, the risk of getting sick is a little higher”
Falling ill at the beginning of your holiday would therefore not be a coincidence but linked to a weakening of the immune system. When we work, our brain triggers a series of reactions that allow us to face daily activities with all the energy we need. These defence mechanisms help us, in normal times, to be rather resistant to illnesses.Stress is not something you can generate or manage voluntarily. It is hormonal dosages […] In fact, you have hormones that are generated whenever you are stressed. (cortisol and adrenaline, editor’s note) but when you relax, the stress suddenly goes out and you no longer generate adrenaline, but you continue to generate cortisol, which attacks and weakens the immune system. And so, inevitably, the risk of getting sick is a little higher“, explains Bruno Humbeeck, psychologist and educational psychologist interviewed on the 5@7 program broadcast on the RTBF Belgian.
Also, we would tend to “pay more attention to the signals sent by the body“during the holidays and therefore to listen to yourself more. The psychologist also mentions the workload which tends to intensify just before leaving on holiday which leads to more fatigue… and less resistance to infections.
The solution to counter this syndrome?Staying stressed even on vacation“, the expert says ironically. More seriously, he advises:
→ Stay active during your vacation to avoid going from a state of absolute stress to a state of total decompression.The idea is to gradually relax in order to help your body adapt to the non-work situation.“.
→ Do sports at the start of your vacation to, again, facilitate the transition between the work period and the weekend or vacation.
→ Work in depth on the perception of one’s work with, if necessary, psychological help. “Am I able to take a step back from my work? Do I have too much workload? Does it cause too much stress?” are all questions to ask yourself and avenues to explore.