The holidays are meant to feel joyful, but for many women and men across Texas, the season comes with holiday fatigue and full-body holiday exhaustion.
Apart from joy, holidays bring long days, disrupted sleep, back-to-back events, travel, hosting, and last-minute rushing. All of this can wear down your body and mind.
Some people even take extra shifts or side jobs to cover holiday expenses, adding more stress. This stress affects your mood, focus, immunity, and overall health.
Recent surveys show that 38% of people feel more stressed during the holidays, and for those already managing mental health challenges, 64% report their symptoms worsen this time of year.
In this article, we’ll explore how holiday fatigue affects your body and how functional medicine approaches can help you stay healthy throughout the season.
Common Signs of Holiday Fatigue
If you’re dragging through the holidays, and depending on caffeine. Your body is overloaded. This is what we call holiday fatigue.
In functional medicine, we see these as early warning signs. The following signs show that your body and mind are overloaded after a holiday.
- Low energy all day
- Bloating
- Frequent headaches
- Changes in appetite or cravings
- Poor concentration
- Poor sleeping
- Brain fog
- Emotionally tired
- Weakened immune system
- Stress
- Overeating and cravings
- Drinking more caffeine, sugar, or alcohol
- Procrastination
Holiday Fatigue Has a Root Cause
Fatigue doesn’t just happen. It has a root cause. It shows up as low energy, mental fog, and body exhaustion. Your body experiences fatigue when your cells can’t efficiently produce energy, often due to blood sugar swings, inflammation, or hormonal imbalances.
During the holidays, your body faces extra challenges. Eating more high-fat, high-sugar meals raises inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). These markers are linked to feeling tired and worn out.
From a functional medicine view, fatigue is a sign that your metabolism and gut are under strain. That’s why we see these root causes:
1. Cortisol Imbalance
In December and January, a cortisol imbalance is very common due to the holidays. When you are under stress, your adrenal system responds by producing extra cortisol, which is basically a stress hormone. At first, it helps you stay alert. Over time, it can leave you feeling tired.
Signs your cortisol is out of balance:
- Sugar cravings after dinner
- Tired in the morning
- Mood swings or irritability
- Extra belly fat
2. Hidden Inflammation from Holiday Foods
Even if you normally eat healthy, holiday meals can quietly cause inflammation. Foods like gluten-heavy dishes, sugary desserts, alcohol, seed oils, and extra dairy can stress your body.
If you have a sensitive gut or slower detox system, this extra load can drain your overall immune system.
Signs your body may be reacting to holiday foods:
- Bloating
- Fluid retention
- Brain fog
- Joint stiffness
- Slow digestion
4. Nutrient Drops During the Holidays
During the holidays, it’s easy to miss important nutrients. And these hidden nutrient drops are one of the most common root causes of holiday fatigue.
- If you have low magnesium, you feel more fatigue and poor sleep.
- Low B vitamins can cause energy crashes.
- Low vitamin D causes seasonal fatigue and weaker immunity.
- Low omega-3s can cause inflammation.
- Electrolyte imbalances can cause exhaustion and cravings.
At Kairos, we test for key nutrients like low magnesium, vitamin D, B vitamins, omega-3s, and electrolyte imbalances. You cannot fix these with rest. You need to identify these deficiencies and need to fill the nutrient gap to feel active and energized again.
5. Metabolic Slowdown During Winter
In winter, your metabolism naturally slows down. Cold weather, irregular meals, and sugar spikes all add stress to your system. That’s why December and January often come with:
- Poor digestion
- More sugar cravings
- High Blood Sugar
- Weight changes
- Laziness
Shorter days and colder weather can reduce your activity, which lowers your calorie burn and slows your metabolism.
Tips to Get Rid of Holiday Exhaustion
Functional medicine looks at the root causes, from blood sugar imbalances to disrupted sleep patterns, to help you feel energized again. Here’s what you can do:
- Drink electrolytes every morning
- Eat protein within 1 hour of waking
- Replace sugars with fruit or dark chocolate
- Add cooked veggies to every meal plate
- Take a 10-minute walk after meals
- Practice 5 minutes of deep breathing daily
- Include turmeric or ginger tea for anti-inflammatory purposes
- Eat more omega-3, such as fatty fish, chia, or flax seeds
- Set a 10 PM sleep target to protect your cortisol
- Take magnesium glycinate at night for peaceful sleep
- Limit alcohol to avoid inflammation
- Add magnesium + vitamin D (if deficient)
- Book a functional wellness assessment if your fatigue continues
Signs It’s Time to Get Functional Testing
If your energy does not bounce back after doing everything, consider testing for:
- Cortisol curve, like a 4-point salivary test
- Full thyroid panel
- Micronutrient deficiencies
- Gut inflammation markers like calprotectin, zonulin
- Insulin markers
- Food sensitivity testing
Sometimes, hidden conditions like blood sugar issues, detox pathway problems, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease are driving your fatigue. It is important to get properly checked if your symptoms persist.
Don’t Ignore Your Holiday Fatigue
Don’t ignore your holiday fatigue. That constant tiredness and brain fog is your body sending a signal. At Kairos Health & Wellness, we focus on getting to the root cause. Lola, our functional medicine nurse practitioner, creates personalized plans to support your metabolism, hormone balance, gut health, and overall wellness.
During this season, take extra care of your body with good food, hydration, exercise, and rest. And if you need extra support, we’re here to help you recharge and feel your best.
