When leisure time makes you sick

Work is only justified by leisure time. To admit the emptiness of leisure time is to admit the impossibility of life.

~ Guy Debord

Some people can’t handle leisure. They've become addicted to stress hormones.

Feeling subpar, I closed my last blog with the following paragraph.

In a calm state after a storm of busyness, I become vulnerable to symptoms. The sudden decrease in cortisol, which in high doses can create a euphoric and anesthetic effect, reveals discomfort in my body.

Let me explain. 

Because we associate cortisol with stress, we often overlook its benefits. When the body responds appropriately to increased demand, cortisol quells inflammation and prevents symptoms so we can focus on the task at hand. 

In the right balance, cortisol gets us up in the morning, boosts alertness and mobilizes action. Initially, in high doses, it can create a temporary euphoric and anesthetic effect. Of course, prolonged and unmitigated stress can be destructive to health.

Elevated cortisol levels, impair sleep, suppress the immune system by reducing the production of white blood cells and withholding a healthy inflammatory response when needed. The weakened immune function increases susceptibility to sickness.

By putting on hold the immune response, cortisol allows one to feel stronger longer. However, we become more vulnerable to infection. As soon as we relax, our immune system re-activates the inflammatory response and fights whatever has breached our vulnerable barriers.

Leisure sickness may occur when there is an abrupt transition from a brief period of intense stress to a more relaxed state. 

The sudden decrease in cortisol can trigger symptoms. When the suppressed immune system becomes re-activated, people may complain of headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, colds and flu-like symptoms.

Cortisol-mimicking drugs, such as prednisone, are often used to treat inflammatory conditions, including asthma, allergic reactions, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune conditions.

If you’ve ever caught a cold, you know what inflammation feels like. It’s that achy, watery-eyed, congested feeling not actually caused by the cold virus but by our immune system’s attempt to fight it. The symptoms are part of a healthy immune response.

When people tell me about autoimmune conditions, I often ask what happened to them before the diagnosis. More often than not, they share some very stressful event. The stress suppressed their immune function and increased their vulnerability. 

Closing thought

When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.

~ Peter Marshall

Annoying as it may be, falling sick in the calm after the storm is a sign that our body is actually in good health. Sometimes, we must triage resources to ensure survival or to get the demanding job done. Thereafter, we can repair and recover naturally.

To learn more about the upside of stress please click here.