Holiday Burnout for Professional Helpers: Stop Over-Functioning This Christmas

It's Black Friday, and if you just spent all of Thanksgiving making everyone else's holiday perfect while eating cold food standing at the sink—this episode is for you.

Dr. Juls breaks down why holiday over-functioning is literally making you sick, gives you permission to stop the madness, and assigns you homework that will shift your entire Christmas season.

You'll learn: 

• The research on how holiday stress impacts your cortisol and immune system
• Why helpers default to over-functioning during the holidays
• 3 permission slips to change your holiday experience
•  A powerful homework assignment: The Christmas NON-Negotiable Lists
• How to actually enjoy the holidays instead of just surviving them

This episode is for you if:

• You're a helper, healer, caregiver, nurse, therapist, teacher, or social worker
• You just orchestrated an entire Thanksgiving and you're already dreading Christmas
• You're exhausted from trying to create "perfect" holidays for everyone else
• You're ready to stop over-functioning and start living

Key Topics Covered:

• Holiday burnout for helpers and caregivers
• Over-functioning and perfectionism during the holidays
• Holiday stress and cortisol levels
• Compassion fatigue and seasonal burnout
• Setting boundaries during the holidays
• Self-care for helpers during Christmas
• How to stop people-pleasing during the holidays
• Holiday overwhelm and exhaustion
• Caregiver holiday stress management

Research & Resources Mentioned:

• Psychoneuroendocrinology (2018) - Holiday stress and elevated cortisol
• American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (2020) - Healthcare workers and holiday health symptoms
• Journal of Family Psychology (2019) - Children's holiday memories and parental presence
• Journal of Consumer Psychology (2021) - Holiday boundaries and stress reduction
• Emotion journal (2020) - Personal pleasure activities and burnout prevention

Free Resources:

🎁 Compassion Fatigue Cure Starter Guide Get the complete guide to understanding and healing compassion fatigue. [LINK]

🎁 Burnout to Radiance Reset A 5-day practice to move from depletion to restoration. [LINK]

Keywords:

holiday burnout, caregiver holiday stress, Christmas burnout, over-functioning, holiday overwhelm, compassion fatigue during holidays, helper burnout, nurse holiday stress, therapist burnout, caregiver exhaustion, holiday boundaries, self-care for helpers, holiday perfectionism, Christmas stress for caregivers, burnout recovery, seasonal burnout, how to stop over-functioning

Subscribe & Review:

If this episode helped you laugh and gave you permission to stop the madness, please subscribe and leave a review!

THE DIAGNOSIS: Are you the Martyr who can't say no? Or the Warrior who fights until she collapses? You cannot heal what you cannot name.

👇 Take the 60-Second Quiz to find your Burnout Archetype: [CLICK HERE TO REVEAL YOUR ARCHETYPE]

Join the Rebellion: If this episode woke something up in you, share it with a colleague who needs permission to stop. We rise together.

Reach out to Dr. Julie

Episodes drop every Tuesday at 5am and every Friday at noon.

Special guest episodes drop the 4th Thursday of every month at 7am.

Transcript

0:00

Happy Friday, my beautiful, exhausted, over-functioning helpers. If you are already tired just thinking about Christmas, you need this episode. Stay with me. I'm giving you the psychology and the permission slip to stop being the holiday mule. Empowering brilliant women in healthcare over 50 to transform burnout and compassion fatigue into renewed passion. Reigniting your spark to create a life that energizes you every single day. I'm your host, Dr. Jules. Let's get to it. All right, let's get real. It's Black Friday, the day after you just orchestrated an entire Thanksgiving dinner. Made sure everyone had their dietary needs met, cleaned the house. Oh Lord, cleaned the house, set the table, cooked for hours, most likely. Oh, I just, my feet get so tired even in my sandals. And girl, you smiled through that family drama and most likely probably. Ate your meal standing up because you were too busy, making sure everyone else was comfortable. And now you're supposed to start the Christmas cycle. You know, the shopping, the decorating, the baking the card, writing the gift, wrapping the elf on the shelf. Bullshit. Thank God my, my boys are too old for that. We did not have elf on the shelf. It would've scared the bejeebers out me a little. Oh, I could just see. The boys would've had a big time with that, but anyway, you don't. Yeah, you've been messing with that elf on the shelf. The matching PJ's, the perfect family photos, the pressure we put on ourselves all while working full-time. Taking care of your patients. Showing up for clients, grading papers, managing your own household, trying not to completely lose your flipping mind. And here's the thing, nobody says out loud, oh, you are not making magic. You are making yourself sick. The research shows. Holiday over functioning is destroying your health, and let me hit you with some science. A 2018 study published in the psycho neuroendocrinology. That's a mouthful, magazine. It's a, it's a journal. It's a peer reviewed journal. Found that women who reported high levels of holiday stress, specifically related to perfectionism and caretaking responsibilities. Y'all. These gals had terribly elevated cortisol levels for up to six weeks after the holidays, six weeks, your stress hormone stays jacked up well into January because of Christmas. Ladies, just take a big deep breath and think about that shit. Six weeks. We know what cortisol does to us. Oh my Atlanta, huh? No wonder we gained weight over Christmas, huh? Good grief. And another study from the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. This is 2020 study found that 68% of healthcare workers and caregivers reported worsening physical symptoms during the holiday season. Including insomnia, headaches, digestive issues, increased anxiety, suppressed immune function. Hello, January flu. And y'all, here's the kicker. We're educated women. We're educated humans. But here's the kicker. The primary cause wasn't the holidays themselves. Oh no. It was the self-imposed pressure. To create perfect experiences while others neglect their own needs. I said that wrong for others, while neglecting your own needs, that sounds so much better, did not make a damn busy sense to me earlier. Okay, so we're so busy running around taking care of others and trying to do shit that we, you cannot control how someone responds to your Christmas tree. You, you might have spent three. Days getting it perfect what you think. And someone might walk in and because they're polite, they don't say it, but they're like, eh, look at that Christmas tree. We, when we run around trying to create perfect experiences for others, we're setting ourselves up for a huge disappointment. So here's the translation. You're literally making yourself sick trying to be Santa Claus, Martha Stewart, although I just saw that she did an American Eagle, Christmas spread that, check that out on, your favorite social media channel. It's kind of cute. But anyway, she is the epi epitome of perfectionism. Is she not? I mean an 80 something, doing a bathing suit spread. But anyway, we are making ourselves trying to sick, trying to be Santa Claus and Martha Stewart, and a functional human all at once. The pattern over-functioning is your default. Here, my friend, is what's really happening if you're a helper by profession. I also say healer, healthcare professionals, all of us lumped together. That means nurse counselor, therapist, teacher, social worker, caregiver, physician. Wherever you fall, you've been trained to put everyone else first. It's not just your job, it's your identity. So when the holidays roll around. You unconsciously apply that same all handle everything energy to your personal life. You over-function because you don't trust anyone else to do it right. You feel guilty if you're not doing enough. You equate labor with love. You believe your worth is tied to how much you give. And the holidays. The holidays are the Super Bowl of over functioning. It's the Olympics of self abandonment. And you are going for the gold medal in Mar in martyrdom. Oh, been there, done that. I think I have a few hanging on my bedroom wall, sadly. Oh, here's the truth. Bomb. Your family doesn't need to. Kill your, your family doesn't need you, my friend Doesn't need you to kill yourself to have a good Christmas. They need you present, not resentful. They need you present and rested, and that starts with one radical decision. And here it's stop making Christmas magic for everyone but yourself. Okay, so if holiday over-functioning is the problem, what's the solution? I'm gonna give you three permission slips. I know you don't need'em, but I'm giving'em to you and I want you to consider these doctor's orders. Really, Christmas does not have to be perfect. And here's the, here is the big announcement. It's not perfect. No matter what you do, it's not perfect. And, and we just set ourselves up for this huge letdown. We have these high expectations. Y'all know about cognitive dissonance. Here's where your expectation is. I'm holding my hand at my top of my head and. Here's where the reality is. I'm holding my hand at my chest. That's a big cognitive dissonance we do to ourself. So here's the permission slip. It's a wild concept. Your kids will not remember if you made 12 types of cookies or two. They will not care if the tree has a theme or if you just threw lights on it and called it a day. What they're gonna remember. Is if you were stressed, snappy, and resentful the entire month of December. During one of my poorest times, I remember decorating the Christmas tree with the two boys, and to this day, Blaker still giggles about it. I was trying to put the star on the top of the Christmas tree and I'm, I'm five four. I'm not a tall person. And so I was standing on a chair, I guess. And I'd lost my bounce and fell into the tree and we all toppled. And Blake and Cliff still laugh about that. I mean, it was my God talk about not perfect, but they, you know, that's the memory of us all being together and laughing about something silly like that. That's the things they remember. So, and remember, I mean, this is cliche. We in the helping profession know this, but people don't remember so much what you do as much as how you make them feel. Put that on a bumper sticker and slap that on your ass. People don't remember so much what you do. They remember what, how you make them feel, and that is big for this season. A 2019 study in the Journal of Family Psychology found that children's positive holiday memories were most strongly correlated with parental emotional presence. Y'all. It's not decorations, gifts, or elaborate traditions. I guarantee you the boys remember very few of their, Christmas gifts over the years, but they do remember going to pea paws and memaw and me following the Christmas tree, you know, and various traditions that we have, the, you know, waiting to open their gifts and, and just, you know,, our traditions. So repeat after me. Good is enough. Lemme say that again. I left out one of the enoughs. Good enough is enough. Done is better than perfect. My piece matters more than Pinterest. Oh. Do you have any crickets? Amen. So that's your first permission slip. It doesn't have to be perfect. Second, you're allowed to say no, and I know this is a big one. Some of y'all have got it and like, no shit, Dr. Jules, just say no. But others of us have a people pleaser that comes up and punches you in the gut. So you need to work more at this, but it is a big one. You do not have to host every gathering. Attend every event. Buy gifts for everyone you've ever met. Make 47 dozen cookies for the bake sale and volunteer for every school, church community thing. You, my friend, are allowed to say no. You can say it like this. Not this year. I'm keeping it simple. We're doing something different. I'm not available. And here's the revolutionary part. You don't have to explain or justify all that dancing around we do. Trying to get someone to like our know it doesn't work and it just weakens your nose. So don't, don't, don't do that. Just say. Say your statement and be done with it. Research from the Journal of Consumer Psychology 2021 found that people who set clear boundaries around holiday obligations reported 42% lower stress levels and higher relationship satisfaction. Why you ask? Because when you stop over-functioning, you stop resenting everyone. Okay, let that one sink in and we're gonna go to permission. Slip third. The third one. You Dear Soul, get to enjoy the holidays. Two, this one might just blow your mind, but here it's, you are allowed to have fun during the holidays. What? That's right. You are? Not fun, as in I feel joy watching everyone else enjoy what I created. I mean, I'm sure there's some joy in that, but you have, you're exhausted from that. I'm talking about actual FUN fun for you. What would that even look like? Could it be reading a book instead of wrapping gifts for three hours? Or taking a nap instead of deep cleaning the house or ordering takeout instead of cooking an elaborate meal or maybe saying, I'm doing something else for myself today without an ounce of guilt. Let's back this up with a study, shall we? Emotional Journal 2020 found that women who intentionally scheduled personal pleasure activities during holidays had significantly lower burnout rates and higher life satisfaction scores. Here's the translation. Taking care of yourself during the holidays isn't selfish. It's strategic, and it is something of kindness you do for your loved ones. So I've got a homework assignment for you. I got a challenge for you, girl. Got you a challenge. Here it is time for your homework, and this is mandatory. Consider it a prescription. I. The Christmas non-negotiable list. That's your assignment, and here's what you're going to do today. Yes. Today, even on Black Friday, I want you to grab a piece of paper or open your notes app on your phone and create two lists. Okay? List one things I'm not doing this year. Write down three to five things you've done in past holidays that drained your ass. Stressed you out or made you resentful? I don't know, like hosting Christmas Eve dinner or making homemade gifts for everyone. Oh, my attending, every holiday party I'm invited to, or, you know, decorating every room in the house or sending over a hundred Christmas cards. If these things stressed you out, don't do it. Write them on this list. And these are your non-negotiables. You are not doing them this year, period. And I promise you, the world is gonna continue turning. Okay? Here's your second list things I'm doing for myself. So you write down three to five things that would actually bring you joy this holiday season. Not things that make you a good mom or a good daughter or a good employee. I'm talking about those things that make you feel freaking alive. All capital letters. So Dr. Jules, what would that even be? Well, I am here to help you with that. So here's some examples. Um, I don't know what about going to see holiday lights without anyone else in the car, although I'd want my Kelly with me and I'd really like my boys and kids with me. But that's just something to think about. Reading a cozy book with zero interruptions, getting a massage, sleeping in on a weekend morning. Saying no to something without guilt. Hmm. These are your actual non-negotiables. These will happen. You have a deadline. You have until Sunday, November 30th to create both. Tell one person what's on your list. Partner. Friend, therapist, puppy, dog. I don't care. Just say it out loud. Your amygdala needs to hear you say it and then commit to honoring them. Why this works when you name what you're not doing, you remove the guilt. It's a decision, not a failure. When you name what you are doing for yourself, you give yourself permission to prioritize your own wellbeing. And here's the magic. When you stop over functioning and start taking care of yourself, you show up for the holidays as a person, not a martyr. And that is what your family longs for, needs, wants. Okay, let's wrap this up because I know you've got Black Friday Chaos to navigate. Here's what we covered. Holiday over functioning is making you sick. Literally, research shows elevated cortisol suppressed immunity and burnout that last into the new year. Second, the problem in the holidays. It's the self-imposed pressure to create perfection for everyone else while abandoning yourself. Third girl, you have permission to let it be good enough. Say no without explanation and actually show up and enjoy yourself these holidays. Your homework, create your Christmas non-negotiable list what you're not doing and what you are doing for yourself. Deadline this Sunday. Here's the thing I want you to remember. You've been conditioned to believe that your worth is tied to how much magic you create for others. But here's the truth, you, my friend, are the magic. Not because of what you do, but because of who you are. And when you stop killing yourself to prove your worth, you give everyone around you, the everyone around you, the permission to do the same. And that's a real gift. So this Black Friday, while everyone else is out fighting over discounted TVs, I want you to give your the yourself the gift of not over functioning. It's free, it's revolutionary, and it will change your entire holiday season. All right. If this episode spoke to you at all, please share with another over-functioning, exhausted soul. And also I have two free gifts for you. One is the Compassion Fatigue Cure Starter Guide, and the other is the Burnout Radiance Reset. Both free. Both, are in my show notes. Just click those links and they are gonna be on the way to you. And just as a reminder, I will be, firing up. Hotter after 50 podcast December 1st, and I would love for you to hop over there and get a taste of that. Also be on the lookout for the 12 Days of Christmas special,, series that I'll be doing for y'all. So have a blessed day and I will see y'all soon.