Deep relaxation: you recover vacation

Contact restrictions, home office, possibly with small children for a week at home – the Corona pandemic has changed the everyday life belonging and the many workers in this year, great effort is required. Now the holiday is finally.

And then this: to swim, Instead of in the sea or sipping Cocktails on the beach, scratching the neck, the forehead is hot.

“That employee to be sick on vacation, is a widespread phenomenon,” says Work psychologist Anja Gerlmaier of the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Sudden change from Stress to recovery

A coincidence is not a disease in the holidays mostly, but have physical reasons: In the working hours, many workers under the current, your adrenaline level is increased.

Often the heart beats faster, stress hormones such as Cortisol, activate the body. After the stress of work-rich phases decreases, the adrenaline in your holiday, and ensure that the immune system will be weaker, says Gerlmaier. “Each bacterium jumps to a formal.” In other words: The body can’t deal with the sudden change of Stress to the alleged recovery.

Here, the person needs regular phases of Regeneration, in which he turns to other activities and the activation of the body down will the dangers, says the work and organisational psychologist Oliver Weigelt of the University of Rostock.

“This does not always mean lying on the Sofa, but can also lie in Hobbies that challenge one physically or mentally.”

Eleven days until the deep relaxation

How to have a rest at best, for there are, according to Gerlmaier no patent recipe. “It depends on what activity you engaged in and whether you are more stressed mentally or physically.” Often, it may help to do the opposite of what one is accustomed to in everyday life.

Those who stand all day at a machine and relax might be in the evening with a good book. Who work at the Desk and mentally is claimed, should only reduce the adrenaline levels, such as by claimed only once physically, and, for example, on a Bicycle trip.

But how long must be a holiday, so that recovery? According to studies, eleven days are perfect to achieve deep relaxation. All other days are for the majority of the workers are nice, but not necessary, says Gerlmaier. In the case of strong exhaustion symptoms, the about by extreme fatigue and lack of concentration ability to be noticeable, would it be but in part also more.

However, apparently, even short breaks can have a feel about a long weekend a positive effect on the Stress. It shows an Austrian study of managers from middle management positions have participated.

The well-being and stress feeling, the subjects were after a four-day break, significantly better, the effect was maintained for up to 45 days. A possible reason for this: the one Who is missing only for a short, you must not be afraid of large work mountains on his return.

Photo gallery: 11 tips to fight Stress

Work and leisure separate

Holidays not worked but apparently for all workers. According to a study published in the “Journal of Occupational Health Psychology”, or without people on holidays, because they fear, not of the work, solve or no relaxation to be expected. Another factor in the waiver of vacation is the anticipation of negative financial impact due to holidays.

The Federal holidays act is in the separation of work and leisure time significantly: “During the leave, the employee must afford the vacation purpose, conflicting employment,” it says in Paragraph eight. Nevertheless, the proportion of people who are in the holiday for your boss distance is increasing: According to a representative survey commissioned by the digital Association Bitkom, 70 percent of those who departed in the summer of 2019, while this time the service accessible. In 2018, the share was 64 percent.

Holiday-to get the Feeling of home

And how you manage to wear the holiday feeling sustained in everyday life? Anja Gerlmaier is recommended to call the journey to the first days of work into the memory.

“You can bring, for example, local specialties, such as a nice red wine, or pastries from the resort and in the first few days with your Partner or friends to enjoy.” Then you remember the beautiful days together, and feel a little back to offset.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)

*The contribution of “deep relaxation: you recover in the holidays properly” is published by FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.