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Journalism of Courage
Do people claim to term you as ‘the workaholic‘? You live and breathe work every day, and even when you give yourself a few days to relax, they’re filled with anticipation and dread. Turns out, there’s a term for that- Leisure sickness, and yes, it’s real.
Symptoms of ‘leisure sickness’ can be attributed to physical symptoms like “headaches, muscle pain, fatigue” or psychological repercussions like “feelings of tension and or unease”, even when one is away from work, explains Mehezabin Dordi, Clinical Psychologist at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai.
The pressure to remain connected to your work, or to be ‘productive’, even when you’re supposedly ‘off work’, to a heightened degree, can be characterised by leisure sickness. Leisure sickness is quite different from the usual ‘FOMO’ ( ‘fear of missing out’) you might normally claim to feel, since it involves more physical symptoms. It’s more serious, yes, but what do you do to combat it?
Dr Roshan Mansukhani, a therapist and counsellor, suggests a simple strategy of cultivating a hobby to disconnect from one’s dependency on electronics. He also suggests “focusing on nothing”- “when you focus on nothing, you will find yourself, nothing is more important than what can calm you… Drowning in work creates a monotony which can be combatted by diverting your mind. “A healthy way to do so would be by engaging in activities like listening to your favourite music, practicing yoga, or exercising.”
According to Dordi, one can adopt different techniques to lessen the impact of leisure sickness:
Limiting your time spent on social media to check information related to your work (compulsively refreshing your inbox) can be an inducer of work related stress that can progress into something more.
Engage in mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation to help stay present and reduce anxiety
A day without work can feel fun, but to those who crave a sense of structure, it can also be something away from the ‘normal’.
Establish a consistent routine that includes regular leisure time to normalize the experience and reduce anticipatory anxiety.
Challenge negative thoughts related to leisure and replace them with more balanced, realistic ones.
Remember, the constant “on” state of work culture, characterised by an expectation to be continuously available and responsive, can contribute to leisure sickness as well. When the boundaries between work and your personal life are blurred, it can become challenging to completely disconnect. The ‘guilt’ that you feel when you’re ‘off work’ can be a contributing factor too.
