The end of the year can be a very stressful time for folks. Therefore, it can be difficult to figure out how to avoid burnout in December. Not only do we have holidays – Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. But lots of us also have work obligations – like closing the books, finishing an inventory, or wrapping up big projects.
Add to all of this that the days are shorter, darker, and colder. It can all be too much for people and send them spiraling into burnout.
What does burnout look like?
As a refresher, we’re first going to remind you what burnout is and how it feels. Burnout is what happens to your mind and body when you are stuck in an inescapable state of high stress. Stress is normal. Being stressed is normal – especially when you experience a disruptive event.
What’s not normal is staying in that state of stress. The stress cycle is exactly that – a cycle. This means you are supposed to complete it. When you do, you get lots of lovely hormones that help you feel better.
Burnout happens when you don’t finish the stress cycle. This also means you don’t get the happy hormones, and you are stuck feeling stressed all the time.
What to do about burnout in December?
If what we just described is burnout under normal circumstances, you can imagine how hard it is to avoid it when you add all the pressure of the holidays. There are the presents to buy. The decorations to put up. The events to attend. The list is neverending, and if you’re stuck in your stress cycle, the holidays can often make it worse.
But fear not, dear reader, we have some tips to help.
- Remember that no one (and nothing) is perfect: Getting everything right during the holidays adds too much pressure, especially for women. The extra work often falls on us to do the cooking, cleaning, decorating, and maintaining of traditions. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to live up to a Hallmark Movie version of holiday perfection. Try and focus on the experiences and feelings you want to have over the holidays, and make a list of what it would take to accomplish those goals. The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and reconnection, not endless to-do lists and tick boxes.
- Reflect on your stressors and complete the stress cycle: Knowing more about yourself is a big key to battling burnout. The more you know what causes you stress, the more you can take action and make plans to combat it. Take time to understand how you experience stress and do what you can to make sure you complete the stress cycle.
- Communication is key: In order to avoid burnout in December, we have to communicate about our stress to folks we do life with. People need to know how you’re feeling and what you need so that they can support you. We cannot combat burnout in isolation, we need others to help. Also – people aren’t mind readers, so we have to practice clear communication to help avoid the holiday-related burnout.
How to have burnout-free holidays
Those are our top 3 tips on how to avoid burnout in December. We hope they are helpful for you as we all head into this very busy season. Remember that joy, rest, realignment, and reconnection are essential and that it’s okay to say no. Don’t let Pinterest pressure you into thinking you have to have the perfect tree. Make time for loved ones, do things that make you happy.
If you’d like to read more about our research into stress and how to deal with burnout, check out our book HERE.
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