Holiday Ready?

Does your body realise whatsup?

Can it already feel the excitement coursing through your veins?

That the adrenaline and the cortisol rushes will be on lockdown soon.

Also, have you suddenly felt a bit rundown, a slight tickle in your throat, some aches and pains in unusual places?

Well, these might be the first signs of the dreaded post-work shutdown…

There should be a warning label on the countdown calendar:

“WARNING: Entering Holiday Mode may cause spontaneous system glitches.”

This “Leisure Sickness,” which sounds like a luxurious condition invented by a social media influencer who has more products to peddle than a “wellness guru” with no credential other than having visited an ashram once.

But no, it’s such a common phenomenon these days. Scientists have been scratching their heads over why you can be a caffeine-fueled machine during work mode dodging deadlines like Neo in The Matrix one minute and then the minute you step off the plane into paradise? Boom. You're bedridden and weeping softly into the minibar.

Case in point:

Kota Kinabalu, 2023:
COVID. Day one.
Not a sniffle, not a "maybe it’s just the aircon"... but full-blown, thermometer-shattering virgin-COVID.
So much for sunset cocktails. I spent my days and nights sleeping and sweating out my overworked regrets under hotel blankets in a darkened room much like Dracula or gamers.

Bali, 2025:
New country, new symptoms.
Bali Belly took me out cold.
One minute I was living my barefoot beach goddess fantasy. The next, I was locked in a battle with my own intestines, crawling on the floor as the spasm hit, the toilet my best friend, looking like death.

Not sure what Hong Kong, 2025 has in store for me next week! But thoughts and prayers, please!

And the reason for this phenomenon? The body, after months of constant coping and stress, cortisol overload, and 4 hours of sleep (because menopause) basically collapses when you finally relax. A recent study suggested about 3.2% of people experience “leisure sickness,” but I suspect the other 96.8% are just too sick and tired to answer surveys. Or slightly gatvol of the endless work surveys!

Your body tries to drop hints:
“Hey girl, maybe don’t skip breakfast again?”
“Cmon, bestie don’t ignore that weird ache in your left shin.”
“Lawd, why are you crying and sulking again?”

But of course, we brush it off. We worker bees, we do not go gently into rest and recovery.

Until our body goes full I-told-you-so.
Immune system: “You’ve ignored my calls. Now I’m done with asking nicely. Good luck with the diarrhea and the fever, try doing out and about without bed rest.”
Cue: hotel bed, pjs, stacked pillows, and a resigned soul.

And there’s a silver lining.
Because in the chaos of aches and sniffles, someone steps in.

He brings the juice. He fluffs the pillows. He hovers awkwardly but lovingly.
“Do you want soup? Should I call the doctor? Can I heat you up with my hands?”

I lie there, all blanket burrito, croaky voice, puppy dog eyes.
“Massage?” I whisper, my answer to everything!

I lie flat, stretch out like a cat, and wait.
He warms his hands with a dramatic clap. Let the healing begin, every vicks-filled stroke a balm. He hits the sweet spot, and I groan. Bliss!

Ahhh…my eyes rolling to the back of my head.

He pulls the covers tight tucks me in, me snug in a onesie, I could just as well start sucking my thumb.

“Was that good?”
I wink. I nod off.
Carer: 10/10

Would recommend.

Things TO DO in bed (when you're sick on holiday)

• Nothing
• More of nothing
• Accept soup like it’s a Michelin-starred meal.
• Sleep
• Sleep again
• Get Vicks rubs
• And foot rubs

And most importantly: Let someone take care of you for once.

• He is definitely at the top of my list.

Sometimes your body is saying, “Girl, stop. Let someone else take the wheel.”

And why not?