For many people, the holidays are a lonely and difficult time, and facing this can be emotionally draining.
The holiday season is all about joy and connection, and a bucket load of family and friends. By the time 2 January comes around, many people are running on fumes.
The emotional hangover, beyond the babelaas of the festive season, is called social fatigue and unravels after a month spent rushing between gatherings, negotiating family dynamics, managing budgets, shopping and trying to meet social expectations about the season to be jolly. Of course, social posts reflect that, too.
Social worker Carryn Hennessy said many people push through December on a supercharged autopilot. She said the pressure to meet others’ expectations takes its toll, as does not living in the present moment.
“January arrives, and people wonder why they feel flat or irritable. It is emotional jet lag. The mind and body are still recovering while life expects you to be fully switched on again, because the calendar changed days,” she shared.
For many people, the holidays are a lonely and difficult time, and facing this can be emotionally draining.
People are supercharged in December
Research has shown that social fatigue comprises a mental, emotional, and physical depletion that follows prolonged interactions and disrupted routines. The holidays demand more energy than any of us realise. Importantly, there is no space to simply be and do nothing. One month can be as draining as 12 at the office.
Research by Zwavelstream Clinic, a mental health facility based in Pretoria, suggested that the emotional bandwidth required for extended periods of social activity is far greater than people typically recognise.
Late nights, unpredictable sleeping patterns and a month of eating and spending differently erode resilience. The nervous system absorbs all of this and does not bounce back on command. Another research paper noted that around 65% of people report a noticeable dip in mood once they return to work in January.
A paper by Quiet Connections, a UK-based organisation focused on social anxiety and wellbeing, noted that excessive social interaction depletes emotional reserves, particularly when there is insufficient quiet time to recalibrate.
People find themselves irritated by small things, overwhelmed by simple conversations or craving solitude with a kind of urgency that feels out of character. When they cannot get that space, the body rings the alarm bells through fatigue, irritability and brain fog.
Fatigue and brain fog
Research from a German family support service called Familienservice, said that the return to everyday life, like transition back to work, demands focus and structure at a moment when both feel out of reach and people, out of breath.
People often start the year with the best intentions but struggle to find momentum. It is not a lack of discipline. It is depletion. Hennessy noted that January often exposes how much people ignore their own needs in December.
She said the season keeps us distracted from our discomfort, struggles, or needs, as there is always another lunch, another outing, another deadline, or another expectation.
“Then January arrives, and suddenly we aren’t ready to return to the expectations of our lives. In the words of Dr Bessel van der Kolk, our body keeps the score,” she shared.
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Recovery begins with recognition. Research on social fatigue has shown that acknowledging emotional and physical depletion helps people respond with intention rather than guilt. Annemarie Viviers of Heavenly Healing said that gentle rituals help.
“Changing into comfortable clothes after work, tidying a small area at home or taking a short walk signals to the nervous system that it can stand down. Re-establishing daily routines helps regulate mood. Consistent meals, regular sleep and manageable work goals rebuild rhythm,” she said.
Get some sleep, eat well
Viviers added that activities such as reading, journaling, or simply sitting outside restore more than people expect. She suggested that scheduling downtime before and after any social commitment gives the emotional system space to settle.
Planning something small to look forward to, a half-day off or a weekend break, helps create a sense of ease.
If exhaustion lingers, support may be necessary. Hennessy said persistent low mood or ongoing fatigue can be a sign from our body that there are deeper issues at play.
“We’ve been taught to push through and keep going, but it is important to rest and listen to our bodies. If the feeling does not shift, it is worth speaking to someone. Rest alone cannot fix everything,” she said.
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