Here's what holiday burnout does to your body and how to protect yourself against it

• People relate burnout with work, but the holidays can also cause it.
• Simple tasks can feel overwhelming and you might not want to tackle your to-do list.

Even if you love celebrating the holidays, this can be a stressful time of year. The pressure to make special memories can mean dealing with flight delays, purchasing gifts you can't afford, and being around people you'd rather avoid.

Perhaps you're familiar with the idea of burnout in relation to work. Holiday burnout is a term that describes "the mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that someone can experience during or after the holiday season," Michelle Felder, founder and CEO of Parenting Pathfinders, told Insider.

With burnout, the simplest tasks can seem overwhelming. You might feel restless or unmotivated while trying to tackle your to-do list.

It's important to be proactive since burnout can lead to lasting changes in how your body responds to stress. For advice, I asked therapists about the signs of holiday burnout and what you can do to prevent it from ruining the festivities.

You feel more fatigued than festive

When you're stressed, excited, or a combination of the two, your body tends to react by triggering the fight or flight response. As your nervous system becomes activated, this sets off a chemical reaction in the brain, including the release of hormones that "prepare you to flee to safety or handle the threat in front of you," Felder explained.

Among these symptoms are shallow breathing, increased heart rate, muscle tension, and sweaty palms. "To the brain, stress is stress. Therefore, the same physiological mechanisms get triggered, regardless of the context," Felder said.

With repeated and prolonged exposure to stress, your body has a harder time recovering from the fight or flight response. Physical signs of burnout include headaches, stomachaches, and sleep disturbances.

Even though Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas Eve is just one day out of the year, celebrating can leave you vulnerable to "feeling physically exhausted, possibly due to the demands of holiday preparations, travel, or late nights," Daryl Appleton, a New York City therapist, and Fortune 500 executive coach told Insider.

Your mood can fluctuate easily

In addition to physical symptoms, prepping for the holidays can lead to emotional exhaustion, Appleton said. You might feel more irritable waiting in traffic or find yourself snapping at loved ones.

Contentious dynamics can surface when you're deciding whose turn it is to host or what topics are off-limits at the dinner table. For some people, it's easier to avoid social interactions altogether, which can increase feelings of isolation.

Spending time with relatives with whom you have complex or difficult relationships can contribute to burnout. "If your participation feels more like an obligation than a desire, there can be an increased amount of stress and anxiety," Felder said.

When you're constantly rushed, it can be challenging to "enjoy holiday activities and events that you used to look forward to," Appleton said. Having to prioritize other people's needs can overshadow your self-care routines like exercising and getting enough sleep.

You find yourself lacking in a season of abundance

A common source of burnout is feeling constrained, whether it's not having enough time, money, energy, or agency. "The holidays require a little bit more of everything, so for a lot of people, it puts a strain on preexisting pain points," Appleton said.

For example, if money was tight before, the holidays only seem to amplify this frequent stressor. The same can be said for family dynamics.

"For some people, holidays are a time of forced family gatherings and other uncomfortable moments," Appleton said. Sometimes our expectations don't align with reality, and striving for perfection can make us feel worse.

Waiting until after the holidays to rest and recover isn't ideal. Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid burnout or reduce its effects.

Pay attention to your needs and set healthy limits

Be mindful of overcommitting yourself as it relates to your time, energy, and finances. Remind yourself that "no is a complete sentence" and it doesn't need to be followed by a lengthy explanation, Appleton said.

If you've experienced burnout before, it's a good idea to check in with yourself periodically to make sure you're taking care of your needs, Felder said. You can always adjust your expectations if you're starting to feel overwhelmed or fatigued.

Even when things don't go as planned, "it does not mean it was a failure," Appleton said. "Take the time to recharge and regroup as part of your daily process."

Seeking the advice of a trusted friend or family member can also help you recognize physical or emotional changes you're experiencing over the holidays, Felder said. Her advice is to find a balance that feels good and sustainable.

Prioritizing "connection and togetherness, rather than decorations and things, can be helpful for maintaining your focus on what matters most during the holiday season," Felder said. Being intentional about what you're doing and who you're spending time with can help you feel emotionally fulfilled rather than drained, she added.

Create safeguards and exit plans for difficult interactions

Sometimes our holiday commitments involve navigating challenging relationships. Before attending a gathering, consider how much time you want to spend in certain places or doing specific activities and "express these boundaries beforehand," Felder said.

For example, you can let your colleagues know that you'll attend the first hour of the holiday party. Or you can tell a family member that you have 10 minutes for a phone call before leaving for an appointment.

Another way to establish boundaries is deciding which conversation topics we don't wish to discuss, Felder said. That way, when they come up, we have a plan in place to remove ourselves from the situation or let others know that we're declining to engage.

"Remember that the holidays aren't meant for you to sacrifice your peace in an attempt to make other people happy," Felder said. "If you anticipate that an occasion or event will be difficult, it can be helpful to bookend that time with self-care."

She suggested spending a few minutes before and after a stressful event doing something soothing like taking a walk, reading a book, meditating, having a cup of tea, listening to music, or talking to a friend who exudes positive energy.

Nandini Maharaj is a freelance writer covering health, wellness, identity, and relationships. She holds a master's degree in counseling and a doctorate in public health.