Leisure Sickness: One in five feels ill or exhausted on holiday

• Four out of ten respondents (40.1 per cent) state that their private life does not offer enough relaxation to meet the demands of their job.
• A third (33.5 per cent) also feel obliged to be available in their free time - among the under-25s, the figure is as high as 42.6 per cent. 
• Just under half (47.4 per cent) also check work emails outside of working hours - over a third (36.7 per cent) even do so when on holiday.
   

Erfurt, Germany, 24 June 2025. Around 72 percent of employees in Germany are familiar with so-called leisure sickness (* ) , meaning the feeling of getting ill or feeling exhausted on days off or while on holiday. One in five (19.3 per cent) experience this at least always or frequently on days off or on holiday. This is the result of a recent representative study by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) named "Leisure Sickness: Feeling exhausted instead of well rested". The main symptoms always or frequently experienced by respondents were tiredness or exhaustion (36.1 per cent), sleep problems (27.6 per cent), irritability (18.9 per cent), headaches (16.7 per cent) and cold symptoms (14.2 per cent).

Although over 95 per cent of participants in the IU study consider it important to take time for relaxation and leisure, four in ten (40.1 per cent) of respondents fully or somewhat agree with the statement that their private life does not offer enough relaxation to meet the demands of their job. Younger employees up to the age of 25 are particularly likely to agree with this statement completely or somewhat (50.5 per cent), meaning that they are less likely to find relaxation in their free time than older employees.

According to study expert Stefanie André, Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences and an expert on health in the workplace, leisure sickness can arise as a result of stress in the work context (see also leisure sickness definition below) and can have several causes. According to the IU study, employees are particularly affected by the following: high work pressure (33.7 per cent), a lack of support from superiors and colleagues (30.0 per cent) as well as an unclear distribution of tasks (23.4 per cent) and unclear tasks (20.8 per cent). Other stress factors are long working hours (17.3 per cent) and an unfavourable work-life balance (21.9 per cent). 

Constant pressure and availability leave little room for recovery

• Just under half of the employees surveyed in Germany (46.4 per cent) report high work pressure – which they are usually able to cope with. For 9.2 per cent, on the other hand, their very high workload leads to pressure and excessive demands. Only 39.9 per cent state that their workload is well distributed and manageable. 
• More than half of respondents (54.4 per cent) state that being available outside of working hours impairs their relaxation. Around a third (33.5 per cent) also feel obliged to be available in their free time – 42.6 per cent of under 25-year-olds. 
• Despite the perceived stress, almost half of those surveyed (47.4 per cent) also check work emails or messages outside of regular working hours - over a third (36.7 per cent) even do this while on holiday. 
• In addition, 80.6 per cent of those surveyed regularly work overtime. Of these, 42.9 per cent work up to two additional hours per week, 37.6 per cent even work three hours or more.

"The results show that having to be available outside working hours, high workloads and a lack of rest and relaxation are clear risk factors for symptoms of illness on days off. Younger employees in particular often feel obliged to be available outside working hours, which leads to limited rest and relaxation", explains Stefanie André.

Time for relaxation is meaningful and important for many respondents

38.4 per cent of employees in Germany find it difficult to switch off after work and concentrate on their leisure time. At the same time, almost all respondents (95.6 per cent) fully or somewhat agree that it is important and sensible to take time for relaxation and leisure. What is striking is that the older the respondents, the more often they fully or somewhat agree with this.

Almost all (94.1 per cent) also fully or somewhat agree with the statement that their own free time is seen as a valuable opportunity to recharge their batteries and regenerate. This also shows that older employees tend to agree fully or somewhat with this statement more often than younger employees. 

Does being a couch potato hinder recovery?

Half of respondents (49.8 per cent) say that they spend their free time in a balanced way - with relaxation, hobbies and social activities. Almost a fifth (17.0 per cent) say that they spend most of their free time passively, for example watching TV or reading, but often do not find this time relaxing or enriching.

“People who spend their leisure time in a balanced and meaningful way are less likely to experience leisure sickness. On the other hand, those who only engage in passive relaxation such as watching television after a stressful week at work are more likely to develop symptoms such as exhaustion or headaches on their days off. Companies can help by integrating exercise breaks and conscious relaxation phases into the working day, for example", says Stefanie André.

^(*) Definition of Leisure Sickness

Leisure sickness refers to a phenomenon whereby people develop symptoms of illness such as headaches, exhaustion or cold symptoms precisely when they have time off – for example, at the weekend or on holiday. The physical cause of leisure sickness is thought to be a sudden drop in stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Leisure sickness is also known in German as ‘Freizeitkrankheit’ (literal translation) or ‘Wochenendkrankheit’. 
 

About the study

The study “Leisure Sickness: Feeling exhausted instead of well rested” conducted by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines the symptoms and causes of leisure sickness, the significance of relaxation as a counterbalance to work, and potential measures for its prevention. For this study, a representative sample of 2,004 employed individuals aged 16 to 65 in Germany, reflecting age and gender distribution, was surveyed. The survey took place between 24 January and 6 February 2025. Complete study at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/leisure-sickness/

Video on the study

In a six-minute video (in German only), Professor Stefanie André explains the key findings of the study and provides well-founded insights into the topic of leisure sickness. The video is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWiK5vOcQ8c