For anyone thinking, But I’m always stressed at work, it’s not just a pre-vacation thing, your immune system might be betraying you in a different way. Being chronically stressed can actually suppress your overall immune function, Purvi Parikh, MD, MD, FACAAI, FACP, a New York-based allergist and immunologist and a member of the medical advisory council of the Allergy & Asthma Network, tells SELF. So if you live most of your life in a frazzled state, you could be more susceptible to catching something—and work obligations might just keep you from noticing early symptoms. “Often, when we’re busy, we aren’t thinking about what’s going on internally so even if something is brewing, we may be more aware of it once we have stopped and aren’t distracted by the day-to-day grind,” Dr. Parikh says.
At the same time, the all-consuming demands of a packed work period can make it hard to keep up with your typical routine. Maybe you’re staying up later than usual, outright skipping meals or workouts, or eating less-than-nutritious foods. It’s easy to let go of the things you normally do to care for yourself in the name of “powering through,” Dr. Lee says. The problem is, a combo of missed sleep, poor nourishment, and lack of exercise can make you feel low-energy, moody, and generally unwell—even if you’re not actually sick. What’s more, these lifestyle changes also strain your immune system, opening the door for an infection to weasel itself in as soon as you peace out.
Traveling is yet another strike on your immune system and stressor on your body. For starters, you could be exposed to unfamiliar germs in crowded spaces (hello, airplane breeding ground). Not to mention the change in your routine just makes it more likely that you wind up sleep-deprived or dehydrated, which can leave you feeling woozy, tired, or headachey.
How to lower your chances of feeling sick during time off
1. Make an everyday effort to manage stress, even if it’s a tiny one.
While a quick hit of stress may help you power through a couple long nights of work, there’s the potential risk that you crash and burn right after. And we know that in the long term, stress wears down your immune system. So both experts suggest working some simple stress-zapping strategies right into your daily schedule. This way, it’s more likely to become a habit that sticks—even when you’re staring down a monster pre-vacation to-do list.
Dr. Parikh suggests setting aside time to unwind and unplug at the end of every day “to give your mind the mental break it needs.” Another idea? Take deliberate pauses in between periods of intensity throughout your day, Dr. Lee suggests. Better yet, fill them with a brief stress-relief exercise, like a few rounds of box breathing (inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, hold for four counts) or progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and then releasing each body part from your toes up.
2. Double down on basic health hygiene in the lead-up to a vacation.
Plenty of your everyday habits can lend a hand to your immune system and also offer support for your physical and mental health in the short-term. And according to Dr. Lee, they’re all the things you might intuitively know: eating a balanced diet, getting ample sleep, and moving your body. While you’d ideally do the full trifecta on a regular basis (ha!), it’s especially useful to tune in to how you’re caring for yourself amid the pre-vacation blitz—when some stress may be inevitable, and you also really don’t want to feel crappy or catch a virus, Dr. Lee says. Even making a point to eat one vegetable, walk for 15 minutes each day, or clock a couple eight-hour nights of sleep in the week prior to your time off can make a difference, he notes.
