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Your holiday should be stress-free
While we all look forward to the holiday season - as a welcome time to relax and get away from routine - for millions a break may turn out to be a disappointment. Around 40 per cent of people are caught in a stress trap' which can leave them feeling worse when they're not working, rather than better, and 10 per cent are even plagued by physical symptoms like nausea, headaches, dizziness or palpitations.
Yet expectations that a holiday will be a magic bullet' - an instant antidote to tension and pressure - are increasing, perhaps because, as recent research revealed, we're working harder than ever before.
Last year more than a third of us spent more than 60 hours a week at work.
It's all adding up to a double-whammy of pressure according to Richard Hilliard, director of The Relaxation for Living Institute (www.rfli.co.uk).
"Not only do people often have huge and unrealistic expectations of a holiday - regarding it as a magic bullet' that will make them feel amazing overnight - but it makes them more conscious of the burden on them to make a break perfect for themselves and their family."
Ironically, although the thought of doing nothing is so seductive, Hilliard advises stressed, busy people not to immediately succumb to inactivity.
He says: "You can't expect to instantly slow down from 100 miles an hour to zero and feel good. Around 40 per cent of people are so pressured and stressed with the demands of work and family that they're constantly running on adrenaline."
This is commonly called the fight or flight' hormone which is produced by the body in times of stress and which we originally relied upon in primitive times to help us survive and flee from danger.
Hilliard warns: "Turning that off is not as simple as turning off a tap. If we've become accustomed to continual - and sometimes excessive - amounts of adrenaline to help us cope with stress, the body will not be able to cope with a sudden shutdown, where activity stops dead.
"It's like going cold turkey and can leave the body floundering in a stew of stress chemicals. This affects around 10 per cent of people so badly they can feel quite ill and suffering from range of symptoms including headaches, fatigue, and digestive problems."
In fact, what's needed is a gradual adrenaline climbdown. Hilliard says: "People should prepare themselves for a holiday in the same way they prepare for work, and take some steps which can minimise problems."
By following his advice there could be another bonus, which will last far beyond the holiday period.
He says: "If people recognise that their adrenaline overload may be leading to a range of physical symptoms and probably making them feel generally unwell, and take steps to alter their lifestyle, they could even set themselves on a healthier path for the rest of the year."
So follow the experts' tips and strategies to ensure you relax, recharge and enjoy the break.
ARE YOU AT RISK?
If you answer yes to one or all of these you could be suffering from the stress-trap - an overload of pressure and anxiety.
Do you spend days off fretting over work, and often find by the time you've unwound and de-stressed your holiday is over?
Do you look forward to breaks but find they're spoilt because you often succumb to niggling ailments like headaches, an upset stomach or back, neck or shoulder pain?
Do you look forward to spending time with friends or family but find when you're free you're too exhausted to take part in activities, or are irritable and impatient?
HOW TO DE-STRESS FOR THE HOLIDAY
Try not to overwork in an unrealistic attempt to finish' everything in the days before a break. "It's not uncommon for people to double their workload before a break which can leave them exhausted, with a low immune system and vulnerable to illness like colds or stomach upsets," says Hilliard. Instead, delegate work if possible, and also try to share the work of holiday preparations.
Manage expectations of a holiday. Hilliard advises: "The old saying it's better to travel in hope rather than arrive' is often very true! Accept that you don't have to be in charge of everything on the break, that it probably won't be perfect and keep a sense of humour if things don't go to plan."
At least at the beginning of a holiday, try to have a structure and a purpose to your day. Richard says: "Don't have a lie-in on the first day of the break. Get up at about the same time as you do for work, and have an activity to do that day so there's not a sudden change of pace. Then gradually slow down during the break to acclimatise your body gently."
Eating breakfast by a window, or even getting an early morning walk, will help you have a better day. A dose of early morning sunlight helps kick-start your body and boost vitality levels. A walk round the block or in the park with the kids can help you de-stress and keep blood pressure on an even keel.
Make time to have fun. Just having a giggle will give your immunity a temporary boost by releasing endorphins which make you feel good, relax and de-stress.
Research at the University of Loma Linda in California has shown that even thinking about something funny is enough to bring adrenaline levels down.
Pop Mozart on an iPod or personal stereo. Many experts now believe that this composer's music in particular is calming and de-stressing.
Get sweet dreams by chomping on cherries. Rich in melatonin, they can help you get a good night's sleep. Dr Russel Reiter, a nutrition researcher, recommends eating a handful 30 minutes before bed and choosing tart varieties which contain more sleep-inducing melatonin than sweeter ones. Also, ban carbs until 5pm. They encourage a rush of seratonin which calms the brain and can aid sleep.
10:27am Tuesday 1st April 2008
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