Feeling Exhausted After the Christmas Holidays?🎄🎅😮‍💨

Why You’re Still Tired — and When to Seek Professional Support

Azabu Juban Clinic (Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine & Internal Medicine)

The Christmas and New Year holiday season is often described as a time to rest.
Yet many people find themselves more exhausted after the holidays than before.

If you feel physically tired, mentally drained, or emotionally flat even after “time off,”
you may be experiencing post-holiday exhaustion, sometimes called holiday fatigue.

This is not laziness or a lack of motivation — it is a temporary reduction in your body’s ability to recover.

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What Is Christmas Holiday Fatigue?

During the Christmas holiday period, several stressors often overlap:

• Disrupted sleep schedules and irregular routines
• Social obligations, travel, and family dynamics
• Increased mental load (planning, hosting, decision-making)
• Unconscious pressure to “start fresh” in the new year
• Ongoing work-related or personal responsibilities

As a result, your body may rest, but your nervous system does not.

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Common Symptoms After the Holidays

You may notice:

• Feeling tired even after sleeping
• Low energy from the morning
• Difficulty concentrating
• Increased irritability or emotional sensitivity
• “Pushing through the day” on willpower

This often reflects a combination of
fatigue, nervous system over-activation, and prolonged responsibility.

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This Is Not a Personal Failure

Christmas holiday fatigue is:

• Not a sign of weakness
• Not simply aging
• Not something that can be fixed with willpower alone

It indicates that your recovery system is temporarily overwhelmed.

Trying to return to full performance too quickly can prolong the exhaustion.

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What You Can Do Right Now

1. Don’t Try to “Fix” Your Sleep

Trying harder to sleep often worsens insomnia.
Start with one simple step:
go to bed at the same time each night, even if sleep feels light.

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2. Create 10 Minutes of “No-Decision Time” Daily

• No phone
• No planning
• No problem-solving

Drinking tea, feeling warm water in the shower, or looking outside is enough.
This helps your brain step out of its “responsibility mode.”

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3. Lower Your Daily Expectations

During post-holiday fatigue:

• 80% effort is enough
• 60% is acceptable
• 40% still counts as “well done”

Expecting normal performance while exhausted delays recovery.

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When to Consider Medical Support

Professional support may be helpful if:

• Fatigue lasts more than two weeks
• Anxiety or low mood is present
• Sleep problems continue
• Work or daily life becomes difficult

In some cases, autonomic nervous system imbalance, anxiety, or depressive symptoms may be contributing factors.

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How Azabu Juban Clinic Can Help

At Azabu Juban Clinic, we provide individualized care in:

• Psychiatry
• Psychosomatic medicine
• Internal medicine

We carefully assess your physical condition, mental state, and life stressors to support safe and gradual recovery.

Many patients worry:
“Is this serious enough to see a doctor?”

If you are asking that question, it is already a good time to consult.

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Appointments & Consultation

We offer:

• In-person appointments
• Online consultations (English-friendly)

Early support can prevent fatigue from becoming long-term.

▶ Book an appointment here
(24-hour online booking available)

Start the new year not by pushing harder,
but by restoring balance and energy.