How To Beat The Year-End Fatigue

The race to the finish line is always the toughest. You’ve already put in so much effort in the beginning, and truthfully, your energy is depleting. You’re tired, overwhelmed, and you just want the year to be over as you battle burnout fatigue.

Sounds familiar? You’re not alone. As the year draws to a close, many people start to feel tired and weary, especially if they’ve been spending most of the year working, hustling, and basically doing it all. By year end, they are tired to the bone, don’t really want to work, and basically underperform because let’s face it, when you’re out of steam, you’re out of steam.

Add on the holiday celebrations, weekend catch ups, and trying to meet all your goals before the year ends – it’s no wonder why your energy levels seem to deplete while stress levels rise, no thanks to you rushing to meet deadlines before the year closes!

Mentally and physically tired? Here are five ways to cope with year-end fatigue so you can start 2024 on the right note.

1. Take a break
That’s why many people take the bulk of their annual leave days in December for that much-needed holiday! The reality is taking time off can help with the year-end fatigue, which is integral to your wellbeing and productivity moving into the new year. It also helps with increasing your mindfulness and ultimately reducing your stress. So if you’ve been wanting that beach getaway, time to book yourself a holiday and come back to work the new year with brand new energy and focus! Your work will thank you for it!

2. Prioritise projects
Sure, everyone wants to get everything done before the year ends. But if you’re honest with yourself, there are some things that can wait for the first week of January, what with a lot of people off on holiday when it’s year end (cue point 1!). If you’re overworking and stressed out because there’s no possible way you can finish everything on your plate before December ends, don’t sweat it. Conduct an audit of your to-do list and sort the items based on urgency and importance. Or speak to your manager to determine which tasks need your immediate attention versus those that you can complete later after the new year.

3. Repeat after us: Self-care!
Not looking after yourself is a huge reason why you feel so tired come year end! If there is one resolution you need to meet before the new year, it is exactly this: Giving yourself some TLC. Set aside mini treats and relaxation breaks – it could be a massage over the weekend, some AM meditation sessions, or simply just calling it a day earlier for the last two weeks of December. Prioritise sleep, exercise, and yes, the fun stuff too. Go on, January will be a breeze!

4. Go easy on the parties
Parties after parties after parties – no wonder you’re tired! Year end is always popular for catch ups but here’s the thing – you can always say no if you’re not up to it. Choose the events you want to go for and sit out the others if you rather stay home and recuperate. You can always reschedule for the next year – not everything has to happen in December!

But if you are planning to hit the party circuit, do this: Avoid overeating, go easy on the treats and late nights. Call it in early – you’re still able to meet up with friends but not with the consequences the next day.

5. Let it go
So you didn’t learn a new language this year. Or you didn’t finish that book or movie or documentary everyone’s talking about. Guess what – it’s perfectly fine! While everyone’s trying to end the year with a huge bang, you can do the complete opposite: Quiet yet meaningful. Do what feels right for you, without putting on the expectations.

How are you feeling this year? Tell us all about it @Graduan!

Photo by Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash.