Woman sitting at her desk, head in her hands, looking stressed.

Overwhelmed This December? Here's a 5-Minute Reset.

Wellness| Healing
December 04, 2025•4 min read

Why You Already Feel Overwhelmed This December (And the 5-Minute Reset That Helps Calm Your Nervous System Fast)

A woman with her eyes closed and hands on her chest looking calm in the morning light

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.”

— Audre Lorde

The first week of December arrives, and suddenly everything feels heavier.

Your mornings feel rushed.

Your thoughts feel scattered.

Your patience is thinner than usual.

You’re snapping at people you love for no reason.

And beneath it all, there’s a quiet voice whispering: “I shouldn’t feel this overwhelmed already…”

But if this is your reality right now, you’re not alone, and you’re not failing. More women are entering December emotionally depleted and physiologically overstimulated than ever before. Let’s talk about why and what you can do today to feel more grounded, steady, and in control of your own energy.

A calming Pinterest graphic with soft cream and teal tones reading ‘Feeling Overwhelmed Already? Try This 5-Minute Gut–Brain Reset’ for women experiencing chronic stress and nervous system overload.

📌 Pin this reminder for the days you feel overwhelmed.

Why You Feel “Off” Before the Month Even Begins

We tend to think stress is a mindset problem, something we should push through, manage better, or think more positively about. But the truth is, your body feels stress before your mind names it.

When your stress load has been building quietly for weeks or months, your nervous system becomes sensitized, meaning it reacts faster, louder, and more intensely than you’d expect.

Small frustrations feel big.

Simple tasks feel overwhelming.

Minor decisions feel impossible.

Your bandwidth feels… gone.

This isn’t a weakness; it’s a sign that your system is trying to protect you.

The Gut–Brain Stress Loop (And Why It Matters More in December)

Here’s the part almost no one talks about. Your gut and brain are constantly communicating, and during prolonged stress, your gut becomes the one sounding the alarm. When your gut becomes overwhelmed, inflamed, or dysregulated, it begins sending distress signals through the vagus nerve.

📌 Tap to pin this and keep it for the days when your biology feels louder than your mind. When you pin this, Pinterest will save it to your wellness board so you can return to it whenever you need a quick reset. It also helps more women find tools that support their nervous system and stress cycle.

Here’s the part almost no one talks about. Your gut and brain are constantly communicating, and during prolonged stress, your gut becomes the one sounding the alarm. When your gut becomes overwhelmed, inflamed, or dysregulated, it begins sending distress signals through the vagus nerve.

Your brain interprets those signals as danger, and suddenly your whole stress response activates:

  • irritability

  • tight chest

  • racing mind

  • brain fog

  • shallow breathing

  • emotional reactivity

  • trouble sleeping

  • sugar cravings

  • feeling “on edge”

This is your gut-brain stress loop, and it becomes even more reactive during seasons of higher emotional load like December.

A Pinterest-friendly list graphic showing symptoms of nervous system dysregulation such as irritability, brain fog, overwhelm, and exhaustion, with the message that the body is asking for a reset

The deadlines.

The expectations.

The family dynamics.

The travel.

The late nights.

The pressure to “end strong.”

The pressure to “be joyful.”

The pressure to do everything and feel everything.

Your biology feels ALL of it.

So if you’re feeling overstimulated, it’s because your nervous system hasn’t had a chance to return to safety.

Overwhelm Isn’t a Time Problem — It’s a Regulation Problem

Most women try to “fix” overwhelm by:

  • organizing their calendar

  • starting a new routine

  • becoming more disciplined

  • cutting back responsibilities

  • saying no more often

But here’s the truth:

If your nervous system is dysregulated, nothing you reorganize will feel easier.

Because your body isn’t looking for structure, it’s looking for regulation. Before your mind can focus, before your emotions can soften, before your hormones can stabilize…your body needs one message: “You’re safe.”

A 5-Minute Reset That Helps Your Nervous System Soften Fast

This is why I created a simple, gentle, 5-minute Gut–Brain Reset — something you can use anytime you feel overstimulated, emotional, or on the edge of burnout.

This reset helps:

  • lower cortisol

  • calm the gut-brain stress loop

  • signal safety to your nervous system

  • reduce overwhelm

  • clear brain fog

  • restore emotional steadiness

  • slow racing thoughts

A three-step infographic showing the 5-minute gut–brain reset steps: breathwork, gentle movement, and grounding, designed to lower stress and regulate the nervous system.

And it’s only three steps:

🌬️ Breathe

🤍 Move

🌱 Ground

No complicated routine. No perfection required. Just a moment of reconnection with your body. Women tell me they feel a shift almost immediately, like their body exhales for the first time all day.

If You Want the Full Reset...

I made it easy for you. Comment RESET on my latest Instagram or TikTok post, or send me a message that says RESET, and I’ll send you the full guide. Sometimes, the smallest tools used consistently become the biggest turning points.

You deserve to feel steady this December.

With calm + clarity,

Vanessa

A calming lifestyle photo Pinterest graphic overlayed with text reading ‘Save This: The Reset Every Overwhelmed Woman Needs This Month,’ encouraging nervous system and hormone regulation.

nervous system reset gut brain stress loop overwhelmed women 5 minute stress relief
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