Is It Festive or Am I Just Emotionally Overstimulated?

There’s a very specific feeling that arrives every December, somewhere between fairy lights and fruit cake, between carols and WhatsApp forwards. It feels warm, noisy, overwhelming, nostalgic, joyful, exhausting… all at once. And at some point, many of us quietly wonder: Am I feeling festive or am I just emotionally overstimulated?

Christmas today is no longer just a day. It’s a season. It begins with decorations appearing in November, playlists looping endlessly, social media glowing with “perfect” celebrations, and a calendar suddenly packed with plans. Add family expectations, financial pressure, work deadlines before year-end, and unresolved emotions from the past year, and suddenly, the cheer feels heavy.

Psychologically, this makes complete sense.

Why Festivity Feels Like Overload Now

Our brains are not designed to handle constant sensory input without rest. Christmas brings bright lights, loud music, crowded spaces, strong smells, emotional conversations, nostalgia triggers, and social obligations, all layered together. For some, this feels energising. For others, it quietly overwhelms the nervous system.

In recent times, there’s also the pressure to perform joy. To look happy, grateful, celebratory, even if internally you’re tired, grieving, lonely, or simply not in the mood. When emotions don’t match the external environment, the brain experiences dissonance, which often shows up as irritability, anxiety, emotional numbness, or sudden tears during seemingly small moments.

So if you’ve ever felt drained after a celebration instead of uplifted, you’re not broken. You’re overstimulated.

A Scene We All Recognise

Take Mridhul, not a character from a movie, just a regular person. On Christmas Eve, he woke up excited. Decorations were up, the house smelled of cake, messages were pouring in. By afternoon, relatives arrived, music played continuously, phones buzzed with calls, and conversations overlapped like background noise.

By evening, someone brought up an old family topic, casually, unintentionally and Chris felt something shift. His chest felt tight, his smile felt forced, and suddenly he just wanted to sit alone in a quiet room.

Nothing bad happened. No fight. No drama. Just… too much.

Later that night, scrolling through photos of “perfect Christmas dinners” online, Chris wondered why he felt so tired and disconnected during a festival meant to bring joy. The answer wasn’t lack of gratitude, it was emotional saturation.

Christmas, Memory, and the Emotional Brain

Festivals like Christmas don’t just activate celebration, they activate memory. Childhood experiences, family dynamics, relationships that changed, people who are no longer around. The emotional brain doesn’t separate past from present easily. A song can bring back a feeling from years ago. A tradition can highlight what’s missing. In today’s fast-paced, hyperconnected world, there’s little space to process these emotions. So they pile up disguised as “festive stress.”

So How Do We Celebrate Without Melting Down? The key isn’t doing less, it’s doing things more consciously.

You’re allowed to step away from noise.

You’re allowed to say no to plans without explaining yourself.

You’re allowed to feel neutral on a day everyone says should feel magical.

Create micro-moments of regulation like a quiet cup of coffee, a short walk, a few minutes without your phone, a deep breath before responding to anyone. These small pauses signal safety to the nervous system.

It also helps to lower emotional expectations. Christmas doesn’t have to heal the entire year. It doesn’t need to fix relationships or fill every emotional gap. It can simply be… a day.

A Gentler Way to Look at Festivity

Festivity doesn’t always feel loud and happy. Sometimes it feels soft. Sometimes reflective. Sometimes bittersweet. And sometimes overwhelming. And that’s okay.

You don’t have to glow constantly to be grateful. You don’t have to smile all the time to belong. You don’t have to enjoy every moment to honour the season. So if this Christmas you find yourself asking, “Is it festive or am I just emotionally overstimulated?” take it as a sign to slow down, soften expectations, and listen to what your mind and body are actually asking for.

Because real celebration isn’t about doing more, it’s about feeling safe enough to be real. And that, honestly, is the most meaningful gift you can give yourself this season.

Written By : R. Sagarikaa, Editorial Head