Why People Often Get Sick After a High-Pressure Stretch

The pattern is not limited to executives. The article’s author describes continuing to work after a brother’s sudden death and through a divorce, then becoming sick once each crisis had passed. Researchers have also studied “leisure sickness,” a term Dutch psychologist Ad Vingerhoets used for symptoms that appear on weekends or vacations. In a 2002 study of nearly 1,900 people, about 3% recognized the pattern; they tended to be high achievers who felt responsible and struggled to stop being busy.

A business owner coached by the author, identified as Michelle, spent each fall and December working at full tilt, then fell ill for the first couple of weeks of January. She had come to expect it. This past January was the first time she avoided the illness, after she began scheduling days off throughout the year and paying closer attention to signs that she was pushing too hard.

Under pressure, the nervous system remains activated, while stress hormones can help people keep working. The body may still signal strain through tight shoulders, shallow breathing or an unsettled stomach, but those cues are easy to override in a busy period. For some people, constant activity also keeps painful feelings at bay, making rest uncomfortable. Greater success can add to the pressure as more people rely on a leader.

The article recommends checking in with the body several times a day, noticing jaw tension, shoulders and breathing, and trying bilateral stimulation: a steady left-right rhythm such as walking, alternating knee taps or tapping each shoulder with crossed arms. It also suggests spending time with people who help you feel at ease, taking breaks before they become urgent and leaving a lighter week after major pushes rather than immediately scheduling another one. Psychologist Marc Schoen advises against moving abruptly from 100 to zero. Frequent or recurring illness should be discussed with a doctor.