How to Navigate Emotional Burnout and Overwhelm This Festive Season
(…Without Numbing, Pretending, or Putting on the Paper Hat if You Don’t Want To)
The holidays are meant to be magical, right? Twinkling lights. Glorious food. Time with the people you love. Except… that’s only part of the story.
For many of us, this season also brings up a messier mix of emotions: Burnout. Resentment. Grief. Overwhelm. Emotional exhaustion that feels like it should be packed away until January, but only grows louder under all the glitter.
You may be doing everything you’re “supposed to,” and still feel off. Many of us can feel like we’re just hanging on through the Holiday Season even though we’re trying to reach for all the magic it might also bring.
The 12 Emotions of Christmas (And Then Some)
The Holiday Season can bring with it so many different feelings. There’s joy, of course. Gratitude? Hopefully. But also: guilt, loneliness, hope, anxiety, peace, nostalgia, resentment… and grief. Especially grief. And often we might be feeling more than one thing at once.
You can be excited and exhausted.
Grateful and slightly ragey at your partner for leaving all the wrapping until Christmas Eve.
Full of love and lonely at the same time.
Emotions Don’t Need Fixing. But They Might Want Witnessing
Here’s what we’ve learned (and what the science backs too): Trying to force yourself to feel festive—or calm, or joyful—only adds to the emotional load.
What helps more? Small, doable practices that honour your reality and softens the pressure.
We’re not aiming for unloading everything all at once. Rather we’re trying to bring in some more relief and permission, creating an emotional anchoring when things feel all over the place.
Gentle Practices to be Kinder to What You’re Really Feeling
These are things that hopefully you can return to when you need a moment of clarity, calm or care.
1. Name What You’re Actually Feeling
Instead of shoving it down, try this:
“Right now, I feel overwhelmed because I’ve said yes to too many things.”
Naming emotions helps regulate them. It brings clarity when everything feels a bit loud.
2. Validate What’s True for You
You don’t need to justify your emotions. They're not wrong or bad.
They're simply information.
Loneliness? Telling you that connection matters.
Guilt? A sign you care deeply.
Resentment? A flashing light that a boundary might need adjusting.
3. Reframe, Gently
Not toxic positivity. Just a reframe when you’re ready.
Instead of “I’m failing at Christmas,” try “I’m doing my best with what I have this year.”
Instead of “Why can’t I just enjoy it like everyone else?” try “Joy looks different for everyone. I’ll find mine.”
4. Create Tiny Moments of Joy on Purpose
Not performative, curated joy. But real, quiet joy.
A trashy Christmas movie you secretly love.
A warm drink savoured in silence.
Singing badly with someone you love.
We’ve found that joy is an active practice, rather than a finely crafted outcome.
5. Let Overwhelm Be Your Messenger
Instead of pushing through, ask:
What’s one thing I can take off my plate today?
What’s one thing I could hand to someone else (even if it’s not “perfect”)?
How can I pause, even for a minute?
6. Talk About Grief, Don’t Tiptoe Around It
Grief doesn’t go quiet at Christmas—it often shouts.
Whether it’s someone you’ve lost, or the version of life that isn’t yours anymore, it matters.
Light a candle. Say their name. Let others know it’s okay to mention them too.
This keeps their love in the room, not hidden away.
7. Let Peace Be a Practice, Not a Destination
Peace isn’t always a big revelation.
Sometimes, it’s three minutes of stillness while your tea brews.
It’s stepping outside and noticing the cold but not in the way that makes you want to cry.
It’s a single quiet carol, in a room filled with noise.
Look for peace in micro-moments. That might be enough.
What’s One Emotion You’re Carrying This Season?
What’s showing up for you—joy, grief, gratitude, anxiety, excitement, resentment, or something else entirely?
Because once you name it, you can work with it. And if you’d like support doing that…
Ready to Feel Better This Season? We Can Help.
Our 1:1 emotions coaching sessions are gentle, grounded, and always tailored to you. This isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about finding what might help you feel even just a little bit better, right now.
Whether you’re navigating grief, burnout, or just can’t hear yourself think
Whether you want support this season or to start the new year with a steadier emotional toolkit
Let’s start there.
Book a free 15-minute clarity call or explore our coaching options here.
This season, you don’t need to perfect it. You don’t need to perform it. You just need to be in it—honestly, gently, fully.
Make space for all the feelings. And give yourself the gift of not having to carry them alone.
