Seasonal Burnout: The December Exhaustion No One Talks About

December has this glittery reputation—twinkly lights, cozy nights, peppermint everything—and yet so many of us stumble into the month already running on fumes. It’s like we’re supposed to float through the holidays with soft blankets and Hallmark-movie energy…but in reality, most of us are held together by caffeine, obligation, and one fraying Target bag with 14 receipts at the bottom.

There’s a certain December tired that hits differently.
Not the good kind of tired—the “my skin is clear, my laundry is folded, I’m at peace with the universe” kind.
I’m talking about the kind of exhaustion where even fun things feel heavy, your brain starts buffering like old dial-up internet, and you swear the month has at least 87 events you didn’t agree to.

Let’s talk about why that happens—and what you can do to soften it.

Why December Makes Burnout Worse

December has a way of pulling on every thread at once: emotional, financial, relational, nostalgic, even spiritual.

You’re wrapping up an entire year, literally and metaphorically.
You’re trying to show up for people, keep traditions alive, travel, host, plan, hold it together—and then smile like you’re enjoying every moment.

Meanwhile, your nervous system is like:
“Hey… maybe we could just hibernate instead?”

A few reasons this month drains us:

1. End-of-year pressure

We reflect on what we didn’t do, what we wish we had done, and what we’re afraid to carry into a new year.

2. Holiday expectations

Family dynamics, travel logistics, gift-giving, social gatherings—you’re basically managing five different emotional jobs at once.

3. Sensory and emotional overload

Lights, noise, crowds, memories, nostalgia, grief, traditions, expectations.
It can be beautiful and overwhelming at the same time.

4. Nervous system fatigue

When you’ve been coping, hustling, or caregiving all year, December becomes the moment your body whispers:
“Sweetheart, slow down. I’m done.”

Signs You Might Be Experiencing Seasonal Burnout

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse. Sometimes it looks like…

• Feeling numb or disconnected

• Going through the motions instead of enjoying anything

• Being irritated at literally everything (yes, even the tree lights)

• Wanting to sleep more but feeling unrested

• Dreading social events

• Wishing you could fast-forward to January

• Crying over something small and feeling confused about why

• Feeling “off,” “blah,” or like you’re wearing someone else’s emotions

It’s okay if this sounds familiar. Burnout is a human response to overwhelm—not a failure.

The Hidden Layer: Emotional Memory

December carries its own emotional scrapbook.

The songs, the smells, the weather… they pull old memories to the surface.
Some are sweet. Some are heavy. Some are complicated in ways we don’t even have language for.

It makes sense that your body remembers more than you want to relive.
It makes sense that your energy dips.
It makes sense that you feel caught between who you were, who you are, and who you’re trying to become.

Your nervous system isn’t malfunctioning.
It’s responding.

How to Recover (Without Adding More to Your Plate)

You don’t need a massive self-care plan. You just need small nudges that tell your body:
You’re safe. You can breathe. We can slow down now.

1. Lower the bar

Not everything needs to be magical, homemade, or deeply meaningful.
Sometimes survival is the tradition.

2. Practice “one thing off your plate”

Choose something—gifts, cooking, driving, hosting, organizing—and delegate it or let it go entirely.

3. Build in pockets of stillness

Five minutes. A quiet car ride. A shower where you actually exhale.
Stillness recalibrates your whole system.

4. Let yourself feel the feelings

You don’t have to be cheerful 24/7.
Permission to feel how you actually feel—messy, tired, excited, nostalgic, all of it—reduces burnout.

5. Reclaim “good enough”

Good enough wrapping.
Good enough holiday magic.
Good enough you.
You are still worthy without overperforming.

A Final Reminder: You Don’t Have to Earn Rest

Rest isn’t a reward for suffering.
It’s a biological need.
It’s a boundary.
It’s a quiet love letter to your future self.

If December feels heavy this year, it doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re human.
And humans were never meant to carry an entire month of expectations on their backs.

Give yourself the softness you offer to everyone else.
Let this be the year you don’t power through.
Let this be the year you end the year gently.