Why Your Nervous System Feels “Off” After the Holidays

By Savannah Babych, LCSW – Lighthouse Counseling LCSW

If you’ve stepped into January feeling overwhelmed, drained, overstimulated, or just “off,” there’s nothing wrong with you. This time of year impacts our nervous systems more than people realize — and many of my clients tell me they feel confused or frustrated that they aren’t starting the new year energized. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit depleted. 

You are not behind. You are not failing. Your body is processing a lot.

Let’s talk about why this happens and what it means for you.

1. You’ve been in “push-through” mode for weeks

The holiday season asks a lot of us — even in the best scenarios.
There’s more:

• social interaction
  

• stimulation
  

• decision-making
  

• emotional labor
  

• disrupted routines
  

Your body can only stay in “go-mode” for so long. Once everything slows down in January, your system finally gets a chance to release what it was holding. That release often feels like:

• heaviness
  

• irritability
  

• anxiety
  

• sadness
  

• exhaustion
  

It isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s your body exhaling after weeks of being “on.”

2. The emotional whiplash is real

Whether your holidays were joyful, stressful, complicated, or a mix of everything, the transition into January can feel jarring.

You go from:

• busy → quiet
  

• full → empty
  

• structured → unstructured
  

• surrounded → alone
  

• stimulation → stillness
  

Even if you wanted the calm, your nervous system still needs time to adjust. For neurodivergent individuals, that transition can feel especially intense — the brain thrives on predictability, and this season doesn’t offer much of it.

3. January is when the emotions you numbed finally surface

It’s common to “hold it together” during the holidays.
Once the new year arrives, the emotions you didn’t have space to deal with start to show up:

• grief
  

• loneliness
  

• resentment
  

• sensory burnout
  

• unmet expectations
  

• financial stress
  

Your body waits for safety before it lets you feel. January is often the first moment it gets.

4. Sensory overload → sensory crash

Holiday environments are full of:

• lights
  

• noise
  

• crowds
  

• smells
  

• interruptions
  

• constant input
  

For Autistic and ADHD individuals, and honestly, for anyone human, this can place the nervous system on high alert.

When the stimulation stops, your system drops into a lower state to recover. That “crash” can look like fatigue, irritability, fogginess, or feeling disconnected.

Nothing is wrong with you. Your sensory system is just catching up.

So what can help?

Here are some gentle ways to support your nervous system as you ease into the year:

1. Re-establish simple rhythms

 Not strict routines — just predictable anchors in your day.
Your body feels safer with familiarity.

2. Prioritize rest without judging it

 Rest is not earned.
Rest is required.

3. Reduce stimulation where you can

 Dimmer lights, quiet moments, warm blankets, slower mornings…
Small choices make a difference.

4. Pay attention to your sensory needs

 Maybe your body needs movement.
Maybe it needs stillness.
Maybe it needs deep pressure, warmth, or quiet.
It’s your job to tune in and listen.

5. Release the pressure to “start strong” in January

 You don’t have to reinvent yourself when your system is still recovering.
This is a month of integration — not acceleration.

6. Try some holistic grounding techniques to  help the body settle

•  Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani)

Lie on your back with your legs resting up the wall.
This position naturally slows the heart rate, calms the vagus nerve, and helps your system shift out of fight-or-flight.
A few minutes can make a noticeable difference.

•  Reconnect with the earth (literally touch grass or soil)

Step outside, place your feet on the ground, or rest your hands on a tree or patch of grass.
This is called earthing, and many people experience immediate grounding, especially during seasons of emotional or sensory overload.

• Use grounding crystals intentionally

Holding a grounding stone — like black tourmaline, hematite, or smoky quartz — can give your hands something to anchor to.
The texture, weight, and temperature help bring your awareness back into your body.

•  Listen to meditative or nervous-system-soothing music

Soft music, binaural beats, or sound bowls can slow the breath and calm the mind.
Apps like Calm, Insight Timer, or YouTube grounding playlists are wonderful places to start.

•  Engage your five senses consciously

A warm cup of tea, a cozy blanket, essential oils, or stepping outside into fresh air can shift your system out of overwhelm and back into presence.

•  Gentle movement or stretching

Your body may need small, intentional movement — not a workout, just a chance to release stored tension and signal safety.

Your system is recalibrating.

Healing doesn’t follow a calendar.
Your body is allowed to need slowness, softness, and space.

If you’re noticing anxiety, burnout, relationship strain, or a sense of emotional heaviness this month, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

Lighthouse Counseling offers in-person therapy in Montgomery, NY and telehealth across New York State.
If you’d like support, you can schedule a consultation here: https://www.lighthousehv.com/

You deserve to start your year in a way that honors your nervous system — not pushes past it.