The December Brain: Why Even the Most Capable Minds Feel Foggy Right Now

If you’re finding it strangely hard to think straight right now — to plan, prioritise, or remember basic things — you’re not imagining it. December brings with it a predictable cognitive crash for many high-performing women, especially those juggling demanding work and family lives.

You may still look competent on the outside. You are still getting through the work. But the feeling underneath — the fatigue, the short fuse, the “please don’t ask me one more thing” — is your brain quietly telling you it has reached capacity.

This isn’t a personal failure. It’s neurological.

Our executive functions — the part of the brain responsible for focus, working memory, planning and emotional regulation — have limits. Through the year, many women burn through that capacity without realising it. By early December, deadlines peak. School schedules intensify. Gift logistics, social responsibilities, emotional labour, and family needs all start landing at once. It’s a perfect storm of invisible pressures.

And because so many high-achieving women have spent years (or decades) “pushing through,” the signs of cognitive overload often get overlooked. Instead, we blame ourselves: I should be able to handle this. Other people are coping. Why am I struggling with basic things? But the truth is simple: you’re not struggling because you’re not capable — you’re struggling because you’re human.

If you’ve noticed any of these lately, you’re in good company:

• Foggy thinking

• Short fuse or low tolerance

• Forgetting simple things

• Feeling overwhelmed by small tasks

• Emotional exhaustion

• Decision fatigue

• That urge to hide from your inbox

This is the December Brain — a very normal response to carrying too much for too long.

The good news? There are simple, compassionate ways to support yourself through it. Reducing mental switching (fewer tabs, fewer transitions), externalising your thoughts (lists, calendars, reminders), allowing small moments of rest, and lowering the bar on non-essential tasks can make a profound difference. These aren’t weaknesses; they’re strategies that respect how the brain actually works.

Later this month, I’ll be running a session for aLocum that dives deeper into the December Brain: why it happens, what it does to your thinking, and how to create more space in a season that takes so much. You’ll leave with practical strategies you can use immediately, but also — and perhaps more importantly — a gentler way of understanding your own limits.

Whether you join us live or not, I hope you give yourself permission to soften the pressure you’re carrying. Your December Brain isn’t letting you down. It’s asking to be looked after.