Festive Exhaustion and Overwhelm

December is often described as the most wonderful time of the year. Yet it can easily become a time of festive exhaustion and overwhelm. Christmas stress can feel so intense, but it is possible to break that cycle.

Christmas seems to start earlier each year. The adverts and marketing now kicks in from November meaning there is a long, long stretch until the actual festive period arrives. When my two girls were little, Christmas was all about excitement, school nativity plays, seeing the Christmas lights and meeting Santa. It was enjoyable but busy and exhausting, especially Christmas day after having only had about two hours sleep! Now they are teenagers it can be draining trying to prise out of them what they actually want for Christmas that they don’t already have. And let’s just say that when it comes to toiletries, makeup and clothes, they probably don’t want to leave me to my own devices.

A client was telling me the other day how crazy people seem to go in preparation for Christmas. There are the presents, social events and grabbing a weeks worth of food for one day. The pressure to create the perfect Christmas, keep everyone happy, manage work deadlines and organise endless tasks can leave you feeling burnt out even before the big day even arrives.

December can create so much stress, exhaustion and overwhelm. There are more commitments and less free time. There are family expectations, changes to routine, less sleep and more rushing around to try and get everything done on time.

It’s no wonder some people start looking forward to when it is all over and they can finally try and relax. Yet it isn’t a nice place to be when you are just wishing it all away and that it was all done with. If you are struggling with festive exhaustion and overwhelm then there are ways to calm things down and regain control.

Signs of Festive Exhaustion and Overwhelm

Festive exhaustion can creep up on you. You know you are overwhelmed and tired and yet you push on and on to try and get stuff done. You persevere in the hope of a break once Christmas actually arrives.

You may notice that you feel constantly tense and on edge. You may even easily snap at others. You can feel drained, exhausted and burnt out, perhaps sleeping badly or waking up in the early hours with your mind racing over what needs to get done. Some people feel tearful or emotional for no clear reason. There’s a sense of dread and worry about the festive period rather than enjoyment. And you either find yourself feeling paralysed or else overwhelmed by your to-do list.

It feels like all the pressure is on you to make sure things go well for everyone. And yet everyone wants a piece of you when all you want to do is get the next thing ticked off your list.

These can all be signs that your stress system is overloaded. You are approaching Christmas like a sprint when it is more of a marathon.

Festive exhaustion and overwhelm comes when your brain is simply trying to keep up with too many demands in too short a time. It’s like trying to run all the programmes on a computer all at once and all those competing demands slow things down and make them less effective.

It can be easy to feel like you aren’t doing enough and need to do more and more. You’re trying to be superhuman and forgetting that you are actually just human.

How To Break The Overwhelm Cycle

To break the overwhelm cycle (and protect your sanity), you need to tweak your mindset and find some small pockets of pause.

• Reduce expectations (but not enjoyment): Christmas doesn’t become better when you do more or get more. Focus on what actually matters.
• Prioritise your energy: Focus on the most important tasks or events each week, let the things that are optional be just that.
• Create reset moments in your day: Take two or three minutes to reset. You can do some slow breathing or just take a moment for yourself. Breaks make you better.
• Ask for help: Let go of the expectation that you have to do it all for it to be right. Share the load with others.
• Protect your sleep: Stress and poor sleep exacerbate each other. Take time off and consistently wind down before bed.

You may also want to download a copy of my free relaxation audio to help you become more mentally calm and physically relaxed so that you can reset and think more clearly: Rapid Relaxation Hypnosis Download 

Hypnotherapy To Reduce Overwhelm

Hypnotherapy can help you to feel calmer, more resilient and more in control. You can reduce racing thoughts, manage pressure more effectively and gain clarity about what you actually need to do and how you will do it. Hypnotherapy can help you to boost energy and resilience and to be able to think more clearly and feel more in control.

Many clients tell me that hypnotherapy has helped them to finally relax and genuinely enjoy Christmas again, without the constant pressure and tension.

You don’t need to keep doing the same pushing and burning out each December. If stress or overwhelm is affecting your well-being this month then get in touch. A calmer, more enjoyable Christmas is absolutely possible for you.

To your health and happiness,

Dan Regan

Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Find out more about anxiety hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket: Anxiety Hypnotherapy

Could you use some help with your anxiety? Struggling with anxiety, stress, worry and fear and need some help? Find out how I can help with a Complimentary Anxiety Hypnotherapy Strategy Session. Learn more here: Appointments

Find out what hundreds of other people have said after their anxiety hypnotherapy sessions with Dan: Hypnotherapy Testimonials

And check out these popular and powerful hypnosis downloads that can start helping you right away with anxiety, confidence and more: Hypnosis Downloads