The plan seemed perfect: close the laptop, activate the out-of-office message and wake up the next day transformed into a rested, happy creature, eager to have breakfast looking out at the sea. Instead, you have a headache, you’re congested or you’ve pulled a championship‑level muscle strain. A bummer. Especially because you’ve spent months dreaming of that moment. Getting sick when vacation arrives is by no means rare. In fact, it’s quite normal if in the days or weeks prior you’ve been living with stress at full tilt.
The body, for our vacation-tinged misfortune, moves at its own pace. It notes down every night of shortened sleep, every meal in front of the computer, every email answered at ungodly hours, and every Sunday devoted to thinking about Monday. When the break arrives, it tallies the toll. And it comes due.
The Body Keeps It
Falling ill during the first days of freedom may seem like bad luck. The classic virus that shows up when it’s most disruptive. Yet the root usually lies in the months prior, when stress became our life partner.
Laura Burriel, a neuropsychologist at the Viamed Santa Elena University Hospital, explains that stress serves a basic function. “It’s an adaptive response that helps us survive.” In the face of a threat, an urgency or a deadline breathing down your neck, the brain activates the fight‑or‑flight mechanism and allows you to endure the strain. Cortisol and adrenaline sustain the effort, while the body reserves fatigue, pain or emotions for later. That ‘later’ usually coincides with the first Saturday of vacation.
«When we reach the holidays and disconnect, that state of hyperarousal reduces and the body lowers its guard, señala Burriel. “It is at that moment that colds, headaches, stomach problems, or a sense of exhaustion appear.”
Exhaustion with Interest
Ana Galán, psychologist specializing in anxiety and emotional management, compares stress hormones to a kind of protective vest. While it remains on, we endure and even have the impression of handling everything quite well. The problem appears when you remove that vest abruptly. Suddenly, all the fatigue and accumulated tension erupt with fury.
Galán speaks of a rebound effect in the nervous system. After several weeks in sympathetic mode, the body gradually needs to recover the parasympathetic mode, linked to rest, digestion and repair. The calendar may say ‘vacation’ in big letters, but the nervous system moves at a different pace.«The body interprets the absence of demand as something odd or, almost threatening, because it had been operating with the accelerator pressed for a long time», explains Galán.
The Pressure to Enjoy
Among the most common symptoms, experts point to deep fatigue, muscle aches, unrestful sleep, colds and digestive problems. Emotionally, anxiety, apathy, spikes of irritability, or difficulty enjoying may arise.
This last one is quite disconcerting. A person has spent months waiting for vacation and, when it arrives, feels a kind of emptiness. The sun lounger is ready. The book too. The brain, however, continues replaying conversations, tasks and possible disasters for September.
Galán often finds these signals in consultations. She explains that perfectionists, self-demanding people or those used to taking charge of everything tend to feel the change more acutely. Their identity has long been tied to performance, so rest ends up seeming like a loss of control.
And then there’s the pressure to enjoy. Because vacation itself also brings duties: traveling, making the most of it, discovering restaurants, exercising, reading three books, and returning with a carousel of photos that provokes healthy envy. Exhausting even to write.
Don’t Slam on the Brakes All at Once
Ana Galán assures that the body needs a ramp-down. The transition can begin before you close the laptop. Laura Burriel recommends reducing the load during the last days, distributing tasks, and avoiding concentrating all the difficult matters on the eve of the trip. “The secret is to transition toward your vacation gradually,” says the neuropsychologist.
Keeping sleep schedules, walking, stretching and reserving small moments of enjoyment during the week prior facilitates the change. Galán also suggests closing pending matters with a concrete gesture. Writing down what remains for the return, tidying the desk or turning off the work phone helps the brain register the end of a phase. The task is set aside in a defined place, instead of turning over in the head all afternoon.
Welcome to the Vacation!
Once the days without going to the office begin to count, Galán recommends giving a certain structure to those first days. A calm breakfast, a walk, a light meal and an open afternoon provide reference points for the body. She also explains that it is crucial not to slam on the brakes with excessive jolts (alcohol, heavy meals) during the landing.
Finally, Burriel insists on bearing in mind that vacations do not have to be perfect. An entire afternoon spent procrastinating can be much more restorative than wandering a city under a scorching sun because the guidebook claims there are seven must-see monuments. Rest also means reclaiming the pleasure of improvising.
«If the distress is very intense, anxiety overwhelms you, you suffer panic attacks or that inability to enjoy and disconnect lasts more than two weeks, it’s wise to consult a professional», notes Burriel.
