Why do I feel poorly before any 'big' event?

[Sallycinnamum]

Without fail before every notable event, christmas, birthday, holiday I feel ill either the day before or on the actual day.

I've got 40+ friends coming to my birthday party tonight and I've woken uo feeling like I'm coming down with something or other...headache, fuzzy head etc (not covid as I've been testing for the last few days).

On my wedding day I actually wasn't sure I'd get through it as I felt so sick even though it ended up being a fabulous day.

Anyone else experience something similar?

Stress? Are you a socially or generally anxious person?

Anxiety

Anxiety.

Social anxiety

I do get stressed out relatively easy. The irony is I organise large scale business events a couple of times a year and I breeze through them despite the fact they're 1000% times more stress inducing than a birthday party!

I'm also quite extroverted too and I'm really comfortable in most social settings so it makes no sense really.

I can only assume it's anxiety or stress. You say it doesn't happen with work events but maybe that's because there's less at stake. Work events don't involve your family and friends and also, you haven't paid for those events.

Anticipatory anxiety.

Its stress and related to your cortisol levels.

While I'm at work I'm ok, but stressed but as soon as it's my break/ annual leave and there is a big drop in cortisol level. For some reason this leaves me open to catching more illnesses.

So the first few days of annual leave I'm usually unwell. Then I get better when it's time to go back to work.

Anxiety

@Horcruxe oh that's really interesting. I'd never thought it could be down to cortisol.

Stress/anxiety.