Emotional pressure, accumulation of tasks and tiredness explain why December becomes a critical period for the health of the body and mind
The final stretch of the year is usually full of personal balance, social commitments, accumulated goals and a constant sense of urgency. O is a normal and necessary response for survival, but it is only healthy when it occurs punctually. When faced with challenges, the body activates the fight or flight mechanism — we face the threat or move away from it. This process releases adrenaline and cortisol, increases heart rate and blood sugar levels and reduces, for a time, the immune system’s response. Under normal conditions, this discharge lasts for about 90 minutes and then stops.
When stress stops being punctual
The problem arises when stress stops being punctual and becomes continuous — something common at the end of the year. The need to close pending issues, meet deadlines, reorganize life, buy gifts, participate in events, face more intense traffic and reconcile family demands creates fertile ground for chronic stress. In this scenario, the body does not find time to return to its basal state.
The consequence is a set of emotional and physical symptoms that attract attention. Anxiety, irritability, memory lapses and difficulty sleeping may occur. Appetite can increase or decrease, depending on each person’s profile. In the body, persistent muscle pain, neck tension, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory crises and greater vulnerability to infections appear. When prolonged, this condition directly interferes with social, sexual and professional life, affecting performance and quality of life.
A portrait of accumulated fatigue
This set of signs received a popular nickname: Dezembrite. The term translates the physical and emotional exhaustion typical of the period, heightened in recent years by the so-called Novembrite — an anticipation of this exhaustion in the face of the accelerated pace of life. It’s as if the body reaches the last months of the year already at its limit, and any small extra demand is enough to trigger an overload.
Recognizing this pattern is essential to taking action before stress becomes an illness. When symptoms begin to interfere with daily life, it is time to seek support from mental health professionals, such as psychologists and psychiatrists, who can guide coping strategies, emotional regulation techniques and, when necessary, drug treatment.
Getting through the end of the year with more lightness
Despite the sense of impending doom that many people report in December, it’s important to remember that much of this discomfort is transitory. With the turn of the calendar, the pressure decreases, demands are reorganized and the body finds space to recover. Decembrite passes — and the new cycle offers the chance to resume healthy habits, establish clearer limits and face, with more balance, old and new challenges.
Prof. Dr. Carlos Alberto Pastore – CRM 24264
Cardiologist, Associate Professor at FMUSP and vice-president of the Zerbini Foundation
