For the last few years, it seems like I’m always sick at Thanksgiving. And always sick at Christmas.
It started back in my college days. I’d come home for the holiday and start to feel that scratchiness in the back of my throat. Next comes the pounding pressure of sinus headaches. And by the holiday itself, I’d succumb to a mild fever and whatever other misery my body had planned. Every single year. If it wasn’t Thanksgiving, it was Christmas. If it wasn’t one or the other, it was both!
Why, body, why? Why do you do this to me every year?
This is actually the first year in a long time that I haven’t been sick at Thanksgiving. How delightful, to actually enjoy the holiday and not want to curl up on the couch and sleep the day away!
I’m not a doctor; nor do I play one on TV. But I do have some theories as to why it’s always the holidays that get me sniffling.
- Subconsciously, my body knows it’s okay to be sick because I’ve got several days off coming. So whatever’s been brewing can finally get worked out of my system. I have permission to get sick.
- My family has germs. When I was away at school, or living away from home, I wasn’t exposed to the germs they were carrying. Coming home for the holidays meant sucking up their germs and getting sick. With so many teachers in the family, they’re bringing in a lot of little kid germs from school, too.
- Stress. Stress makes your body more susceptible to getting sick. Planning and preparing for a vacation can be stressful — did you finish all your work on time? Is the house going to be okay while you’re gone? Travel can be stressful too!
- Weather and environmental changes. Fall is turning into winter, but I’m still hanging on to my lighter jackets and clothes. We’re relying on heat more often, which makes my nasal passages dry out.
So why didn’t I get sick this year? I have a feeling it’s related to numbers one and three. Now that I’m working from home, I don’t have to cling to my vacation days so tightly. My schedule is flexible enough to allow me time off just about whenever I want. And the flexibility helps cut back on the stress. I don’t have to worry about commuting to work or making someone else’s deadlines.
We’ll see how I do at Christmas… the next big holiday health hurdle.