Taking that well-deserved vacation may be just what the doctor didn’t order, according to Australian Medical Association president Kerry Phelps, who says that “Leisure Syndrome” has been shown in recent studies to have validity.
Speaking on an Australian morning television show in late 2002, Phelps indicated that recent studies are quashing former claims that Leisure Syndrome is merely a trendy so-called disease of the overworked business world, and are instead proving it to be a legitimate ailment.
Leisure Syndrome, said Phelps, is a condition where downtime, like weekends or vacations, are accompanied by headaches, cold or flu-like symptoms, as well as intense fatigue. According to Phelps, a recent Dutch study indicated that about three percent of the subjects studied reported symptoms associated with Leisure Syndrome as soon as they started a vacation or break.
Phelps indicated that certain personalities are more susceptible to Leisure Syndrome, including people who are highly work- or achievement-oriented. Phelps recommended that at-risk types pace themselves, readjust their priorities to downplay their overemphasis on work, or even exercise on Fridays to prepare for the weekend.
Source: news.com.au