Are you, or anyone that you know, often ill on the first few days of holiday? After working so hard all year, it can be very frustrating to feel like you are wasting even a day of your precious holiday!
There is a medical reason why this happens, however, the good news is that there is also a way to prevent it!
When you experience prolonged periods of chronic stress, which, sadly, many of us do in our daily working lives, the efficiency of your immune system can be hampered by the chemical, cortisol.
With the additional acute stress which you may experience in the run up to taking a holiday, caused by the pressure of getting everything finished, our adrenaline levels rise which temporarily shields us from common coughs and colds. This allows us to “push through” to the end, so to speak.
Once you are relaxing on holiday and your stress levels are reduced, however, the short term protection from minor illnesses afforded by adrenaline, also reduces. If your immune system has been compromised by increased cortisol levels, you can suddenly become much more susceptible to illness.
But it doesn’t need to be that way!
By effectively managing your stress throughout the year, but especially at peak times such as before a holiday or the peak of a project or deal at work, the eroding effect of cortisol and adrenaline on your immune system can be reduced, making it less likely that you will lose any of your holiday or free time to illness.
So, now the big question, how do I effectively manage stress?!
Well, there are lots of ways to reduce stress. Taking regular exercise or playing sport can help. For some people, playing an instrument, painting or engaging in another hobby can help them relax. The most important thing is to make time for yourself to do something that you enjoy. If you are looking for an effective way to reduce stress and improve relaxation then why not try our Deep Relaxation CD or Download. We have designed it to to help you regulate the peaks and troughs of stress in your daily life and it includes a convenient 20 minute track which is short enough to listen to on your commute or lunch break and a longer core relaxation track which is best enjoyed when you have a bit more time to immerse yourself.
If you can….. try taking an hour this week to do whatever it is that helps you to relax and see how much better you can feel.
Hoping you are well,
Diana Tibble
Research references and Further Reading
Evans, P Clow, A. & Hucklebridge, F. (1997) Stress and the immune system. The Psychologist, 10, 303-307
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