Contents
Vacationer Syndrome: Why We Get Sick During Vacation
You dreamed about a trip to the sea for so long, but now you have a nightmare – fell down with a cold! Why is this happening?
Certified happiness trainer, astropsychologist, author of the book “Goddess Shakti. Textbook of materialization of desires “
Psychologists say that many people suffer from the so-called vacationer syndrome: they instantly fall ill as soon as they are on vacation. It would seem that everything should be the other way around: relax and enjoy, because you have been planning a pleasant trip for months, dreamed of a trip to the sea. But the lack of work for some reason turns into a cold or a breakdown. Why is this happening?
1. We are ashamed in front of colleagues
It turns out sickness while on vacation can be triggered by the unconscious feelings of guilt we feel when we leave the office and start officially messing around. And even if our minds really wanted to be at sea and how to distract ourselves from current affairs, the body begins to protest: “Aren’t you ashamed not to work?” According to statistics, every tenth vacationer in the world unexpectedly falls ill on vacation and the point here is not at all about acclimatization.
More often than not, we experience subconscious shame that we leave colleagues and go to warmer places. It seems to us that they look at us with envy and we show them with our illness: “Yes, not everything is so good, buddy!”
2. Vacation is additional stress
The stress accumulated over the last pre-vacation days is also triggered. Trying to complete all important matters in a short time, we literally drive ourselves to work, working twice as much as usual. And when it comes to the long-awaited vacation, the body simply refuses to function, informing us that an overload has occurred. Moreover, if during working days the body still somehow coped with the load, then the change of the biological clock during the holidays it perceives as a distress signal and, with the help of the disease, tries to stop us, “ground” us. Like, stop exhausting yourself, lie down a little, rest.
3. Acclimatization also affects
Among other things, if during vacation we go far from home, dramatically changing the time zone, climate and even the season, the body can again protest. Worst of all, if we arrange a vacation in warm regions, moving from cold Russia to hot Thailand or India. During the day, our body “teleports” to a completely different environment: with a different atmospheric pressure, humidity, a set of bacteria in the surrounding space. And if before that we were weakened and tired, then we can easily catch some sore, not even having time to get to the hotel, because the body’s resistance after a long flight and changing the time zone drops sharply. You can also easily catch an illness if your work was associated with a long stay in an enclosed space, and on vacation you suddenly decided to give yourself a double load and go hiking in the mountains or forest.
4. Before there was no time to get sick
There is another psychological motive for the emergence of vacationer syndrome. At work, we were so passionate about the process, so tight in schedules and deadlines, tense because of important meetings and negotiations that we simply had no time to get sick. But as soon as we have time to relax and we begin to devote more time to ourselves, our body, our sensations, health problems immediately arise – here it will shoot, then it will prick … That is why many elderly people, being retired, suddenly begin to grow decrepit , get sick and get depressed. The work, they say, keeps you in good shape. And indeed it is. The stress hormones that are produced at work mobilize the immune system. For the same reason, school and college teachers are more likely to get sick during vacations.
5. What to do to prevent vacationer syndrome?
First, the Give your body regular physical activity to maintain endurance.
Second, the more often distract from routine – go to the movies, to exhibitions, take one-day excursions on weekends, so that the brain gets used to the change of scenery and perceives it normally.
Third, learn to relax not only on vacation, but also in everyday life. Take time to visit spas, saunas, swimming pools, go for a massage and just lie on the couch from time to time with a book. Then you will not be afraid of any rest!
How not to get sick while on vacation? A question that everyone asks, especially those who are planning a trip. The principle of rationality and adequacy helps in this matter:
First of all, this concerns adequate rest and sleep, physical activity and clothing appropriate to the climate.
Those vacationing in the south should avoid exposure to the midday sun, the best times for sunbathing are 09: 00-11: 00 and 16: 00-18: 00. It is important to use sunscreen when doing this. This will avoid overheating and sunburn, which so strongly suppress the body’s defenses.
In this case, you must drink enough water.
Another problem is diarrhea, which is appropriately called traveler’s diarrhea. To avoid this ailment, you need to eat in trusted establishments, drink only bottled water and thoroughly wash products (fruits, vegetables) purchased in stores.
However, sometimes even adherence to these rules in some cases does not guarantee the avoidance of diarrhea. One of the reasons is a change in the usual diet, which leads to unpleasant symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract. And if this did happen, then the traveler’s first-aid kit should have an optimal set of medications.
If an ailment nevertheless happened during the trip, I urge you not to self-medicate and consult a doctor.