25/12/2025
Have you ever noticed that the moment you finally rest — on a weekend, on holiday, or during Christmas — you feel more tension, headaches, or even get sick?
There’s actually a name for this:🤧 leisure sickness or the let-down effect. 🤧 It’s when symptoms show up after your stress subsides, not necessarily during the busy period itself.
Here’s what science tells us:
When we’re under chronic stress, our bodies are in a kind of survival mode. Hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are high, which can temporarily suppress some symptoms and keep the immune system on alert.
But the moment we stop — when the workload drops or the holiday begins — those hormones fall. That sudden shift can make the immune system more vulnerable, which is why we often feel sick, tired, or tense right when we should be relaxing.
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This doesn’t mean your body is “weak” — it means it finally has space to show what it’s been holding. When the nervous system comes out of high alert, old symptoms can surface. In other words: the tension was always there, you just didn’t notice it until you allowed your body to slow down.
So during holidays, it’s not only perfectly normal to feel more — it’s expected. That’s why it’s extra important to support your body with:
🟢 intentional relaxation (deep breathing, slow movement)
🟢 good nutrition and hydration
🟢 gentle movement and rest
🟢 sleep and parasympathetic time (rest & digest)
🟢 activities that reduce chronic stress
Balance isn’t about being perfect — it’s about giving your body enough rest and recovery so those old signals don’t rush out all at once.
Your body is not betraying you.
It’s finally catching up. 🤍
