The Christmas festivities only last a few days. However, between buying presents, traveling distances and preparing gargantuan meals, this period can be particularly exhausting and nerve-wracking. Here are 3 ways to overcome what has been dubbed holiday burnout.
- According to an Ipsos/Qare poll, 38% of French people say they are more tired in December. Women are the most affected (41%).
- Half of women (48%) and parents (51%) recognize that their mental load is greater during the holiday season. This represents 14 points less than men.
- Nearly a third of those surveyed acknowledged that they were apprehensive about spending time with family.
Yes, Christmas is a time of magic and celebrations… but it’s also the time when many stressors collide: the search for the perfect gift, financial difficulties, crowds in stores and on transport and even for some family tensions.
“As we face repeated stressors during the holidays, it can lead to long-lasting changes in the bodily systems related to this stress response, which eventually leads to exhaustion,” explain Jolanta Burke and Justin Laiti from the Department of Psychology at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland in their article published in the journal The Conversation. This phenomenon has been dubbed holiday burnout.
Holiday Burnout: What Causes It?
Faced with a busy schedule and the accumulation of small stressful events during the holidays, some people have difficulty falling asleep, mood disorders (irritation, over-excitement, etc.) and an inability to relax. These symptoms stem from increased activation of the sympathetic nervous system and increased production of cortisol.
“When your cortisol activation goes on too long due to a cascade of small, stressful events leading up to Christmas, your body may begin to produce lower daily cortisol levels, leading to feeling drained. Eventually, the activation constant sympathetic nervous system activity inhibits your body’s ability to recover from stress and feel energized throughout the day, contributing to feelings of exhaustion during the holidays.”say the researchers.
However, simple gestures make it possible to reduce this feeling of “burn-out” during the festivities.
3 tips for recovering from Christmas stress
The two scientists shared easy-to-apply methods for overcoming holiday fatigue:
- Bringing back good memories from previous Christmases : remembering old positive emotions helps to reduce the impact of stress. If memories don’t come naturally to you, feel free to use photos, letters, objects, or even discuss them with family and friends. “The more effort you put into this activity, the better your results will be”say the experts.
- Listen to music : if you feel sluggish, have difficulty relaxing or sleeping, turn on some music. Several studies have shown that it contributes to the reduction of stress and symptoms of exhaustion. “It can be any music you like, as long as it makes you feel better. If you want to maximize the positive effect of music, listen to it throughout the day or try to dance to it, alone or with your loved ones”specify the two authors of the article.
- Anticipating a good day : “Before you go to bed, try to vividly imagine four positive events that could happen to you the next day. It could be as simple as receiving a text from someone you care about, going for a walk, or to do one of your favorite activities”, write the academics. According to them, anticipating a good day promotes sleep and thus helps to recover from the fatigue of the end of the year celebrations.
