Why Christmas Feels Mentally Exhausting (Even When You’re Supposed To Be Happy) 🎄😩

By Vikki – How To Feel Fucking Amazing

Okay, let’s be honest. December rolls in and suddenly we’re all expected to transform into cheerful elves who magically have:

• perfect families
• perfect budgets
• perfect emotional regulation
• and a house that smells like a cinnamon candle threw up

Meanwhile your brain is quietly whispering:

“I am so tired I might actually evaporate.”

Why your brain is exhausted

Christmas is basically emotional CrossFit:

• social pressure
• family politics
• money stress
• childhood triggers
• zero rest
• massive expectations

Your nervous system is fighting for survival with nothing but a mince pie and a smile.

Christmas is a performance, not a holiday

You’re decorating. Shopping. Planning meals. Handling everyone’s feelings. Pretending everything’s magical.

Meanwhile your nervous system is internally screaming:

“Where is MY rest?!”

If you’re a single parent…

You’re Santa, chef, cleaner, adult, gift-buyer, therapist and emotional anchor all at once.

No wonder you’re ready to lie on the floor and stare into space like a Victorian ghost.

This is not “holiday spirit.” It’s cognitive overload.

Your brain literally can’t process this level of demand without shutting down emotional energy.

So if you're mentally exhausted—it's not because you're weak. It’s because Christmas is a full-time emotional job.

Give yourself a gentle Christmas

Less pressure.

More blankets.

More naps.

More things that feel comforting instead of performative.

More “no thanks.”

More peace.

Before you go…

If you feel exhausted this Christmas, it is not a failure. It’s a sign your brain needs rest, kindness and calm—not more chaos wrapped in glitter.

You’re doing better than you think.