Survey on Rainy Season Fatigue and Drinking: About 80% Drink Despite Feeling Unwell! What Doctors Recommend for Drinking When Feeling Under the Weather

Shizenshokken Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Bungotakada City, Oita Prefecture, representative: Kohei Sasaki) conducted a survey on "Office workers' rainy season fatigue and drinking habits" targeting ① office workers in their 20s-50s who drink alcohol at least once a week, and ② internists and gastroenterologists.

During the rainy season with continuous rain, many people suffer from "rainy season fatigue" due to changes in atmospheric pressure and humidity.

Drinking in such a physically unfavorable condition may cause more strain on the body than usual and affect the next day's condition.

So what causes rainy season fatigue?

And what concerns are there about drinking in that state?

This time, Shizenshokken Co., Ltd. (https://www.sizenshokken.co.jp/) conducted a survey on "Office workers' rainy season fatigue and drinking habits" targeting ① office workers in their 20s-50s who drink at least once a week, and ② internists and gastroenterologists.

Survey overview: Survey on "Office workers' rainy season fatigue and drinking habits"

[Survey period] May 22 (Fri) to May 23 (Sat), 2026 [Survey method] Internet survey via PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press) [Number of respondents] 1,018 people (① 509 / ② 509) [Survey targets] Monitors who answered that they drink at least once a week (office workers in their 20s-50s) or are internists/gastroenterologists at the time of response [Survey source] Shizenshokken Co., Ltd. (https://www.sizenshokken.co.jp/) [Monitor provider] Sacrisa

*This survey is an introduction of results from a questionnaire targeting doctors, and does not demonstrate efficacy or effects.

(full version here)

About 80% of office workers who drink regularly experience "rainy season fatigue"! What are the specific symptoms?

First, we asked office workers in their 20s-50s who drink at least once a week about changes in their physical condition during the rainy season.

When asked if they feel "rainy season-specific fatigue" such as feeling refreshed or bodily heaviness during the rainy season (June-July), about 80% answered "strongly feel" (32.6%) or "somewhat feel" (50.9%).

It became clear that many office workers who drink regularly experience rainy season-specific malaise.

So what specific symptoms have they experienced?

When we asked those who answered "strongly feel" or "somewhat feel" in the previous question what symptoms they have experienced as "rainy season fatigue", the most common was "heavy body / never feel rested" (56.7%), followed by "can't wake up refreshed in the morning" (51.5%) and "depressed mood / irritability" (32.2%).

More than half showed persistent fatigue like "heavy body / never feel rested" or "can't wake up refreshed in the morning". Moreover, about 30% also experienced mood changes such as "depressed mood / irritability", indicating that "rainy season fatigue" affects both body and mind.

Does fatigue and low mood during the rainy season affect daily drinking habits?

When asked if they drink alcohol even when feeling rainy season fatigue, about 80% answered "yes" (83.1%).

It revealed that many office workers who drink regularly continue to drink even when not feeling well.

So why do they drink despite feeling unwell?

We asked those who answered "yes" in the previous question.

When asked about the reason for drinking even when feeling rainy season fatigue, the most common answer was "because it relieves stress and refreshes me" (53.2%), followed by "because it's a daily habit" (38.1%) and "because of socializing like parties" (30.3%).

It became clear that about half of those who drink despite rainy season fatigue do so for stress relief or a change of pace. Many also cited "daily habit" or "social obligations", showing that even when feeling unwell, it's hard to reduce drinking opportunities due to routine habits or scheduled events.

Do people feel a difference in the next day's sensation after drinking during the rainy season?

When asked if they feel a difference in "the next day's sensation after drinking" during the rainy season compared to other seasons, about 70% answered "strongly feel" (24.6%) or "somewhat feel" (42.3%).

Many feel a difference in the next day's sensation after drinking during the rainy season. Even with the same amount of alcohol, when condition is compromised due to rainy season fatigue, it puts a strain on the body.

The main cause of rainy season fatigue is "poor sleep quality"!

Next, we asked internists and gastroenterologists about the causes of physical changes during the rainy season.

When asked what they consider to have the greatest impact as a cause of "rainy season fatigue", the most common answer was "poor sleep quality" (51.5%), followed by "changes in physical condition due to changes in atmospheric pressure and humidity" (49.5%) and "disrupted lifestyle rhythm" (41.1%).

It was shown that in addition to environmental factors like atmospheric pressure and humidity, lifestyle habits such as sleep and daily rhythm affect rainy season fatigue. The combination of unique weather changes during the rainy season and disrupted daily habits likely leads to malaise.

Does drinking alcohol in a state of rainy season fatigue put strain on the body?

Next, when asked if they think drinking alcohol in a state of rainy season fatigue is likely to put strain on the body, about 90% answered "strongly think so" (41.5%) or "somewhat think so" (47.9%).

It became clear that most of the responding doctors believe drinking during rainy season fatigue is likely to strain the body.

What specific effects does it have on the body?

When asked about the risks of drinking when not in perfect health, such as during rainy season fatigue, the most common answer was "decreased performance at work the next day" (51.1%), followed by "poor sleep quality" (42.6%) and "physical strain" (41.9%).

About half of the responding doctors cited "decreased performance at work the next day" as an effect of drinking when unwell. Concerns about "poor sleep quality" and "physical strain" were also raised, suggesting that drinking when not in perfect health leads to sleep quality deterioration and subsequent performance decline in work and daily life.

So, to stay healthy during the rainy season and enjoy drinking, is daily prevention important?

When asked if they think daily measures are important to enjoy drinking without suffering from rainy season fatigue, about 90% answered "strongly think so" (46.7%) or "somewhat think so" (45.8%).

Most of the responding doctors