More than a quarter of a million Germans always get headaches at the weekend, and they become ill when they are off work or on vacation and they want to recover from work stress. This is known as Leisure Sickness.
What is Leisure Sickness?
Leisure Sickness is a typical leisure illness. Sufferers, who are often workaholics or at least people exposed to high levels of stress, regularly feel sick during weekends and vacations. Especially for professionally overworked and stressed people, free time to relax and regenerate is very important. However, these people become ill exactly when the stresses from their jobs subside and the weekend or vacation begins.
Causes
Leisure Sickness often affects those people who are very ambitious, motivated and responsible at work. They always want to do everything perfectly. In doing so, they forget to take care of sufficient breaks and also of themselves. These people have high expectations of themselves and of life. For them, time off does not represent a recovery phase, but they often experience it as a kind of inner emptiness. A possible explanation could therefore be found in stress: Stress-inducing pressure stimulates the immune system so that it works at full speed. The body therefore learns not to get sick when it is under stress. If this stress falls away, the immune system shuts down and the body gets sick. This includes not only the weekend headache or leaden fatigue, but also illnesses such as colds. Those affected are sensitive to the transition from stress to rest. The body can no longer relieve the tension in these people. Therefore it becomes ill. However, these personalities are not only at risk of Leisure Sickness, but likewise Burnout Syndrome.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
In particular, the first signs and symptoms of Leisure Sickness are seen by those affected as a harmless reaction of the body and therefore do not pay attention to them. Those who are exposed to constant stress at work initially perceive only an unaccustomed tiredness during rest periods. In the meantime, your body has become accustomed to years of constant tension and now perceives the rest phases as stress. This leads to the fact that the unaccustomed relaxation expresses itself in the fact that the psychovegetative system reacts violently. It starts with fatigue and is followed by migraine, aching limbs, immune deficiency, flu-like infections, vomiting and even depression. This is also the reason that many heart attacks do not happen during peak stress periods, but at night, during leisure time or on vacation. It is very important not to ignore these physical warning signals. There are also sufferers who just feel generally unwell.
Diagnosis and course of the disease
The diagnosis can be made if it is repeatedly noticed that complaints and signs of illness occur during periods of rest, i.e. on weekends or vacations. First of all, a medical examination must be carried out to determine whether there are any physical reasons behind this. If this is not the case, it is probably a case of Leisure Sickness. These psychological processes can contribute to permanent high blood pressure. The heartbeat increases and blood flow is also increased. Particularly at risk are workaholics and perfectionists, people who simply can’t switch off, want to control everything and are constantly under power, so to speak. The human body, however, needs a harmonious alternation between tension and relaxation. However, if the body has become accustomed to permanent tension and thus also to a constantly high adrenaline level, the immune system works at full speed. Idle time and relaxation are perceived as stress. The psyche and nervous system react to this by making the body fatigued or ill. If the warning signals are ignored, this can end in burnout or physical illness.
Complications
While Leisure Sickness is not a life-threatening symptom, it should definitely be examined and treated by a physician. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications and, in the worst case, death of the patient. As a rule, those affected suffer from flu-like symptoms, especially during periods of rest or on vacation. Infections or inflammations and fever occur.The ability of the affected person to cope with stress also decreases significantly and patients suffer from fatigue and exhaustion. The patient’s immune system is weakened and headaches and aching limbs occur. Furthermore, a general feeling of illness also occurs. In the worst case, Leisure Sickness can also cause the patient to suffer a stroke and possibly die from it. The life expectancy of the patient is considerably reduced and limited by Leisure Sickness. Sufferers also continue to suffer from high blood pressure and general tension. Leisure Sickness can be treated with the help of various therapies or techniques for relaxation. There are no particular complications in the process. Whether there is a reduction in life expectancy due to Leisure Sickness cannot generally be predicted.
When should you see a doctor?
Leisure Sickness does not need to be treated by a doctor in every case. In most cases, rest, relaxation and a healthy lifestyle are enough to overcome the symptoms. Typical symptoms such as migraine or nausea usually subside on their own after a few days without occupational stress. If they persist over a longer period of time or recur on the next vacation, the doctor must be informed. People who feel severely restricted by Leisure Sickness are best to speak to their family doctor immediately. The physician can rule out serious causes and prescribe a mild sedative. If a psychological cause underlies the complaints, he may also consult a therapist. With acute symptoms, the appropriate physician should be consulted. Patients suffering from gastrointestinal complaints should first speak to a gastroenterologist, while cardiovascular complaints should be clarified with an internist. Muscle or limb pain can be treated by a chiropractor or orthopedist, as well as a physical therapist.
Treatment and therapy
It is very important that fundamental changes take place in the life of the affected person. Often a new job is the solution, but this is often not so easy to implement. Then the affected person should question his life and change his views. It is important to realize that work is not the most important thing and that the focus should be on family, friends or hobbies. The relationship between work and free time must be balanced. Deliberate periods of relaxation must be built into the working day. However, such a change in thinking is usually not easy for those affected. They have to relearn how to relax. Various methods can be used to facilitate this process, such as yoga or progressive muscle relaxation. Sports activity and other hobbies can also be helpful.
Outlook and prognosis
In principle, if lifestyle habits and daily routines are changed, a good prognosis for Leisure Sickness is possible. Existing stressors must be reduced for this purpose, and the structure of lifestyle should be optimized. The affected person can independently and on his own initiative undertake various self-help measures to achieve an improvement or recovery in this disease. Medical treatment is often not the solution for the existing problems. What is necessary is sufficient attentiveness to the needs of one’s own organism. The organization of professional activities as well as leisure activities should be in a good balance. Sleep hygiene should be revised and optimized. As soon as complaints appear, there is a need for action on the part of the affected person. Relaxation techniques or meditation procedures help in a good development of health. If the affected person does not undertake sufficient changes in the long term, an unfavorable course of the disease can occur. These have a significant impact on the immune system and thus on the entire circulation of the body. Although the disease will not lead to a fatal course, there is still the possibility that secondary diseases will develop. For this reason, the affected person is encouraged to make fundamental changes in his or her life. With a healthy diet, sufficient exercise as well as the promotion of well-being, a significant alleviation of the symptoms can be observed in most patients.
Prevent
A good preventive measure to avoid Leisure Sickness is to consciously integrate leisure activities into everyday life. The body needs periods of rest to recharge its batteries and draw strength. It is important to rethink and gain a new perspective on one’s own life. In principle, work may be quiet important, but not more important than family, leisure and recreation. The transition from work to leisure should also be actively managed. A strong immune system is basically less susceptible to pathogens. Therefore, adequate sleep, a healthy and balanced diet, and plenty of exercise in the air are equally important.
Aftercare
In the case of Leisure Sickness, only very limited measures and options for aftercare are usually possible, whereby the focus in this disease is the early detection and treatment, so that it does not come to further compilations or to other complaints. The earlier a doctor is consulted, the better the further course of the disease usually is, so that the affected person should already contact a doctor at the first symptoms and signs of Leisure Sickness. In general, the affected person should rest in order to reduce the symptoms of Leisure Sickness. In this regard, no stressful or physical activities should be performed, especially on weekends and during leisure time, so as not to put unnecessary strain on the body. Likewise, various techniques to relax the muscles can help reduce the discomfort of Leisure Sickness, so especially yoga or other measures of relaxation are very helpful in this. However, in the case of Leisure Sickness, intensive and loving conversations with the affected person can also have a positive effect on the course of the disease. In this context, contact with other patients of the disease is often very useful, as it comes to an exchange of information.
What you can do yourself
People who repeatedly suffer from Leisure Sickness must first and foremost change their lifestyle habits. The triggering stress should be reduced if possible, for example through more regular breaks at work and more free time in the evenings. After work, people should then also stop thinking about their professional tasks and the like, so that the body can rest. It is advisable to turn off the smartphone and also avoid social media. Instead, a good book can be read or something cooked in peace. Spending time with family and friends also helps to relax after a busy day. Yoga, progressive muscle relaxation and massages help the body release stress hormones in a healthy way and reduce the risk of Leisure Sickness. When the vacations are approaching, the stress level should be reduced gradually, as this gives the immune system time to prepare for the upcoming leisure time. In the case of acute symptoms, the only thing that usually helps is to wait and cure the illness. In addition to medical preparations, various remedies from nature can be used to counteract nausea, headaches and other symptoms.
