Ask HN: Does anyone else get sick when their vacation starts? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Does anyone else get sick when their vacation starts?

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For at least the past 7 years, without fail, as soon as I start my vacation (whether it's staying at home, or going abroad) I get sick. Cold/flu-like symptoms. Time of year makes no difference.

I end up spending ~1 week recovering, before feeling normal again but by that time I'm starting work again. I tend to have to make sure I book at least two weeks, otherwise I don't get a break. If it's relevant: I work full time, software engineer, mostly remote.

Anyone else have this issue or know of it happening? Or am I just overthinking an unlucky run of coincidentally-timed colds.

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So, someone provided you a link to a psychological condition, but I think what you're looking for is the "let down effect".

https://www.webmd.com/men/features/suffering-from-let-down-e...

Basically, your body during stressful times can raise its immune response, but there's a price to be payed later.

I have had the same problem of getting sick for most of my breaks.

You’re not alone! And you may be surprised (or not) to learn that it’s a thing and it has a name: Leisure Sickness

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_sickness

I hope you’re able to find a way to fight it off in the future!

Oh, interesting. Thank you! It's odd to see something I experience, put into words by others.

My first year at university, I finished my last final exam (calculus I believe?) I walked out of the testing center feeling excited to be done, but just tired from all the stress. In the ~15-minute walk home, I got sicker and sicker, with a headache, sore throat, and incredibly stuffy nose. While not usually so dramatic, I often have similar experiences when taking vacation.

My theory is that my body breaks down from the stress, but can summon some adrenaline or whatever hormones to survive what I need to, but then crashes once I start to relax.

Your body will hold off sickness when you have high levels of stress. If you're getting sick on vacation, it likely means your stress levels are unhealthily high normally.

In Finland if you get sick during your holiday the doctor can write you sick-leave and you can save your holiday days for later.

Yes, I've noticed this in Germany also, it's great.

Same in All the Scandinavian countries

There are so many worker benefits European countries have that Americans (including me) are just not aware of. Thanks for sharing.

Isn't this EU-wide?

https://www.employmentlawwatch.com/2009/01/articles/employme...

In the U.S., you can do this too if you have a Federal job, not sure if it's a law or anything though.

If it's just one or two days, you don't even need a doctor's note. For three or more days, your manager can require a note, but it's up to them.

I don't take vacations anymore, it's more stressful than it's worth.

I know how you feel. I'm married.

Same. I'm more stressed out before and after vacation than normal times. I'm married with a wife and kids. So I take a vacation more to placate family , since they're the ones that want it. I'm usually more concerned about work load that I'll face upon my return. Or a crisis when I'm away from work.

Same here.

I don't take much vacation (a week a year max) even though I have like 6 weeks vacation but without fail I need a vacation after my vacation has ended.

Why don’t you take your vacation?

It’s probably in your interest both financially and medically to do so, presumably?

It's rather common to be in a situation where taking vacation doesn't gain you anything, it just punts the work down the road.

Ideally, somebody else would pick things up for a week, but usually what happens is they just pile up work to dump on you when you come back.

It work just piles up then there probably won't be a time when you habe no work left. so it doesn't matter if work gets pushed down the road since it will always be there.

Are you taking a vacation (break)?, or a trip (work)?

I wonder if the phenomenon of getting sick at the work->leisure boundary (end of gig, start of vacation, etc.) is related to people allegedly living longer if they keep themselves busy (run a business, etc.) as opposed to retiring into suddenly doing nothing.

I had that a few times, it's always because I eat worse because I subconsciously know that I dont need to perform and I stay up longer and I train my body less or not at all. Then I also usually dont eat my morning steak which throws me off right from the start. Basically all the things I do to make sure that I'm healthy are getting switched off because "oh well, it's my vacation. I dont have to eat my morning steak to have guaranteed energy through the morning."

I'm sorry – A morning steak? I think this may come down the cultural differences, but what is a morning steak? I'm legitimately curious.

It's a breakfast meal in the U.S. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=steak+and+eggs&t=h_&ia=images&iax=...

I mean, yes that’s an option, but it’s not something most people have regularly.

It's a steak, eaten in the morning lol

(Ron Swanson has entered the chat.)

I’d say not eating a regular morning dose of red meat is an excellent start to a healthy vacation.

I experience this, primarily when I take a break between jobs. It'll typically be as sick as I've ever been; bad enough to visit the ER in a few cases.

May be you put a lot more stress to finish up things before you leave on vacation. And that extra stress causes a decrease in immunity leading to sickness.

I have the opposite, usually healthy before and during vacation. The week after is usually filled with palpitations and existential dread

I definitely do. Without fail, I always get sick the day right before vacation.

The pattern usually has me working long and stressful hours the week prior to vacation. It takes a toll on me to just get the work done (not eating, exercising, or generally taking care of myself during this time). It's something I hope to correct in the future.

I get that often. I assume that when there is travel involves (esp air travel) a big piece is exposure to new viruses and bacteria + stress. if you get it even without travel: before your holidays do you have to crunch to get things done before you leave? The stress, reduced sleep could be lowering your immunity.

Not so much crunch, but I do stress over leaving WIP in a clean state that colleagues can pick up while I'm gone.

That's a useful insight - thanks.

I used to get sick each and every vacation. I stopped using the overhead air nozzle on the flight, and I have had no illness on any vacation since. Airlines and their engineers insist there is no way that that air can transmit colds, but going from 100% to 0% leads me to believe they are wrong.

I basically always had that (except I was super hyped for a festival or so coming up) but if I actually had time I surely would get sick the first day at home.

Since I work on my own schedule I mostly get sick when I am really really into work for a few days to long.

Guess stress is more powerful than many make it to be

Before I quit my crappy goverment job, for a period of about two months, I would get sick every Friday afternoon with a high fever for like 12 hours and could not get out of bed until Saturday evening. Around 8 PM Saturday I would be perfectly well.

I used to, when my vacation was actually time off, but now that vacation just means "oh, you've got another house that you're building" I no longer get sick. I just feel sick all the time.

You're too stressed, you need to start cooling down a couple of weeks _prior_ to starting your vacation so you can enjoy it properly.

I don't. My father seemed to do this a fair bit, and I can remember my brother showing up with strep.

yea, right when i took my ptos first time in the year i got covid

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