It is something we all fear: at long last there’s the start of your holiday and you fall ill. Since the beginning of this year, people in Belgium, who become ill during their holiday, are able to use their days off later in the year thanks to a ruling by the European Court of Justice. When it comes to stress during your holiday singer Ingeborg Sergeant, who also runs a yoga and meditation centre, urges people: ‘Don't fight stressful situations!’
Holiday stress is something you want to avoid at all costs. VRT radio host Chaima Saysay has been looking into ways of staying calm during those busy and annoying holiday moments.
‘It’s the holidays at last and you end up in places where everyone wants to be. Then you start wondering why you want to spend time queuing for an ice-cream in a never-ending line,’ Chaima complains. ‘Or, in the worst-case scenario, you just fall ill as your holiday starts.’
‘A whole week of headaches and tummy complaints’
‘When we rest, we are more susceptible to illness,’ says Lode Godderis, professor of occupational medicine at Leuven University. ‘Stress has left our body and our body has to adapt.’
Ingeborg Sergeant is a celebrated Flemish singer, who has run a yoga and meditation centre for years. ‘I experienced it once, a long time ago,’ Ingeborg says. ‘I had just worked on a TV programme during which I had had to listen to a lot of hard-hitting stories. I was still digesting all these tales. Then, I went away for a week to a distant island because I needed some sunshine. But I spent the whole week in my hotel room with a bursting headache and tummy problems.’
‘I was young and didn't dwell on it. But today I wouldn't let it come to that. I make sure I get some rest every day, in the form of meditation. We often take care of our outer self, but we should also take care of our inner self.’
‘If you fall ill on holiday, don't fight it.’ Fortunately, since the beginning of this year, you have been able to recoup your holidays when you are sick. Until the end of last year, the days you were sick during your holiday were lost days. But the European Court of Justice has ruled that that system is unfair: ‘A holiday should be there to give you some relaxation and not to be ill.’
Some conditions do apply of course
When you fall ill or have an accident during your holiday, you should immediately inform your employer. You must let your employer know where you are so that a doctor can be dispatched to check you out, if need be. In addition, it also is mandatory to provide your employer with a doctor's note as soon as possible.
Choosing between being right or being free
Ingeborg also teaches people how to deal with stress in unpleasant situations, like long queues in which people try to jump ahead all the time.
‘You can do three things,’ says Ingeborg: ’Fight, accept or seek distraction. If you fight it, you're going to put all your energy into that long queue and the people jumping in front of you. If you can't accept the situation, find a distraction. For example, listen to your favourite music on your headphones!’