When Your Body Says “Slow Down”: Understanding December Fatigue

Why You Feel Drained at the End of the Year — and What Your Nervous System Is Trying to Tell You

Every year around this time, people start wondering why they’re so exhausted.
Not just tired — depleted.
Unable to focus.
Shorter fuse.
Less tolerance for stress or noise.
More overwhelm with things that “should” be simple.

If this sounds familiar, nothing is wrong with you.
Your body is responding exactly the way a nervous system responds after twelve months of carrying, holding, and performing.

December fatigue isn’t a personal failing.
It’s biology, trauma history, and emotional labor intersecting.

Let’s break down what’s really happening — and what can actually help.

There are a few reasons the end of the year feels heavier on your nervous system:

1. Your brain has been in “go mode” for months.

Even if the year had good moments, your nervous system has been working nonstop to manage stress, uncertainty, responsibilities, and emotional load.

By December, your body finally says:

“I can’t keep doing this pace.”

2. Less daylight impacts mood and energy.

Shorter days and longer nights affect your circadian rhythm, melatonin production, and emotional regulation.

3. The holidays bring emotional labor — even when they’re joyful.

Navigating family dynamics, travel, gift expectations, caregiving, or grief…
Your brain doesn’t see those as “festive.”
It sees them as more things to manage.

4. Trauma histories intensify end-of-year exhaustion.

If you’ve spent years or decades in survival mode, transitions (like the shift into winter) hit harder.

Your body tracks:

• memories

• anniversaries

• family patterns

• unprocessed stress

This shows up as fatigue, irritability, shutdown, or anxiety — not because you’re failing, but because your body remembers.

For Black and Brown women, December Fatigue Often Runs Deeper

The end of the year can trigger layers of:

• emotional labor

• cultural expectations of strength

• family pressure

• being “the rock” for everyone

• work environments where you’re the “only one”

• accumulated microaggressions

Your nervous system hasn’t had the luxury of coasting.
It’s been performing, managing, and protecting — all year long.

Of course you’re tired.

What Actually Helps Your Body Recover

(And none of these require huge lifestyle changes.)

1. Micro-rest breaks

Two minutes of deep exhaling.
Staring out the window.
Letting your shoulders drop.
Your nervous system responds to small, repeated cues of safety.

2. Reduce the emotional load

Ask yourself:

“What am I carrying that is not mine to carry today?”

Put it down — even temporarily.

3. Prioritize warmth, slowness, and quiet

Your body calms faster with:

• warm drinks

• warm showers

• slower movement

• soft music

• less stimulation

4. Let your body lead

If you’re tired, it’s not discipline you need.
It’s permission to rest.

5. Seek support if your nervous system feels stuck

Therapy — and specifically EMDR and somatic therapy — can help your system relearn what safety feels like.

You don’t have to push through alone.

You Deserve Rest. You Deserve Safety. You Deserve Ease.

If your body feels heavy, tense, or overwhelmed right now, it’s not weakness.
It’s communication.

There is nothing wrong with you.
Your body has been working hard to get you through this year.

If you’re ready to explore trauma therapy or EMDR in a compassionate, culturally responsive space, I’d be honored to support you. Request a consultation here or call our office at 215-960-9843.