Christmas Exhaustion: The Facts

With so much happening during the Christmas period, it’s easy to find yourself burned out and listless by the time the tree comes down. We’ve investigated festive burnout and have some ideas on how to manage it, should it strike you.

Office parties. Family gatherings. Gift buying. Gift wrapping. Gift returning. Planning meals. Cooking meals. Travelling. Decorating. Last-minute shopping. Catching up with friends. More travelling. More cooking. More tidying.

And that’s just an average Christmas.

So, is it any wonder that once the festive bunting begins to droop and the fridge is picked clean of anything worth eating that Christmas exhaustion (also known as ‘festive burnout’) begins to set in?

Of course, it’s normal to feel some degree of exhaustion at Christmas – it’s a high-intensity period, even if you prefer a bare bones event – but as the season seems to be demanding more of us each year, the mental and physical toll is increasing.

Typically felt during ‘twixmas’ – that doldrum-y period between Christmas and New Year – Christmas burnout is a serious issue than carries legitimate dangers and can massively impact your health, wellbeing, and yes, sleep.

Signs of Festive Burnout

As we know, burnout is a state of physical, mental, and often emotional exhaustion that’s triggered by prolonged exposure to stress.

Essentially, sustained exposure to stress – like that of an extremely busy Christmas – puts your body in’ fight or flight’ mode, and well… it gets stuck there. Stress hormones flood your bloodstream, and you find yourself snapping at people – or withdrawing from them altogether.

And festive burnout follows the exact same pattern, with the timing providing the obvious trigger. Signs you’re burned out may include:

• Mood swings
• Exhaustion
• Difficultly sleeping
• A negative outlook on the world
• Procrastination (struggling to motivate yourself)
• Feeling overwhelmed (even by simple tasks)
• Chest pains
• Irritability

Of course, these symptoms can be experienced at any time of year, but exhaustion at Christmas is so widely reported that it’s worth investigating how to identify, avoid, or, if needs be, recover from it.

Christmas is a uniquely demanding time. Problem is, we’ve internalised those demands, woven them into the experience. We joke about it. We post memes and Gifs about it. We share glib observations with our friends and co-workers. But we rarely stop and ask ourselves ‘”is this how I want to experience the festive season?”

Often, it can feel like you survive the season, rather than enjoy it. Worse, it can feel like that’s normal.

Of course, some people riff off the energy of the season, the chaos of it all, but for many it’s a physically draining, emotionally depleting time.

The good news? It doesn’t have to be. And if you’re experiencing heightened levels of Christmas tiredness, there’s plenty you can do to renew your festive cheer.

Let’s investigate.

How to Cope with Christmas Exhaustion

It’s normal to feel a little worn out after the category-five social storm of Christmas. Mostly, you can treat this with a judicious application of rear-end to couch and eyeballs to your favourite TV show.

But if you’re feeling so worn out that it’s affecting your wellbeing – perhaps impacting your sleep – then it’s important to dedicate some time to rest and recovery.

Listen to Your Body

Your body is amazing. And if it’s telling you something, you should listen.

Aching muscles? Soak in a warm bath. Persistent tiredness? Get an early night. Overwhelmed by people? Set aside some time for yourself to engage in some guilt-free relaxation; whatever that means to you.

If you’re feeling sluggish, you could bundle up and hit your favourite jogging route. If you’re feeling downbeat, you could curl up beneath a blanket and read a book. If you’re feeling frenzied, as in, you can’t settle, try some meditation or breathing exercises.

Your body is a genius. It wants to take care of you. Let it.

Get More Vitamins

Let’s be real, for all its social events, seasonal traditions, and TV specials, the main event of Christmas is the food.

Whether you’ve got a keen sweet tooth, or gravitate toward more savoury fare, you’ll likely enjoy some festive treats in some form or another. And that’s good. You should. But there’s a caveat. (You knew that was coming.)

Christmas food (and drink, especially the alcoholic variety) hugely depletes your vitamin and mineral levels, often leaving you feeling listless, unfocused, and irritable.

It also lowers your immune system, making you vulnerable to whichever cough, cold, bug, or virus is currently doing the rounds in your social circle.

Not to mention, lower levels of certain vitamins (vitamin D and magnesium, for example) negatively impact your sleep, potentially exacerbating the cycle of exhaustion.

So, whether it’s taking supplements or weaving some vitamin-rich foods into your post-Christmas diet, upping your vitamin intake is a key weapon in the fight against Christmas exhaustion.

Exercise

Your body loves exercise. (Your mind’s a big fan too.) And it’s a fantastic way to blow out the cobwebs and reinvigorate yourself if you’re struggling with seasonal burnout.

It doesn’t have to be much. It could be as simple as a brisk wintery walk or some low-intensity yoga. Of course, if you’re eager to get the blood pumping you could try out a martial arts class or at-home weightlifting.

But whichever activity you choose, at whichever intensity suits you, will get the endorphins flowing; improving your mood, regulating your sleep, and helping to alleviate lingering symptoms of festive burnout.

Christmas is intense, but you don’t have to let it exhaust you. And if it does, that’s okay, there’s plenty you can do to recover, even if it’s just taking some you time.