We can all admit that 2025 has been a lot.
Workloads have climbed, expectations have stretched, and the cost-of-living pressure hasn’t taken a day off.
While the festive season is sold as “jolly and merry” (and yes, it absolutely can be), it’s also a time when many of us check out.
Enter the rise of being emotionally out of office (OOO), that feeling of mentally tapping out even while you’re still physically showing up. This can apply to work, relationships, friendships, or simply navigating life in general.
Burnout and exhaustion are more obvious than ever, especially in a chronically online world, where every message, notification and group chat adds one more thing to manage.
WHO spoke to relationship expert, Kelly Anne Mitchell, to unpack why everyone feels emotionally OOO right now and how to stay grounded during the busiest months of the year.
“We all carry the same invisible load of deadlines, emotional fullness, fatigue, family dynamics, financial concerns, and looming social events,” Kelly explained.
As the year ends, we also begin subconsciously looking at what we’ve achieved and what’s still uncertain, which “adds to feelings of anxiety, depression or burnout.”
“Our nervous systems run out of buffer, similar to a glass of water suddenly reaching the full limit.”
Burnout can often appear in our friendships in ways we don’t always expect.
Something as small as being “left on seen” can end up feeling personal, with the silence often getting misinterpreted as disconnection.
“When we have attachment wounds or heightened sensitivity, it doesn’t feel like a missed reply; it feels like rejection,” she said. So no—we’re not becoming flakier; we’re just exhausted.
Part of the challenge is that the pace of our lives doesn’t match the pace of our nervous systems.
We forget to reply, or we want to connect but have nothing left to give.
If you’re running on festive-season fumes, connection doesn’t have to be over the top.
Kelly shared a few intentional habits that go a long way: a transparent “I’m slow but I care” message, 30-second voice notes, low-energy hangouts like errands or walks, or simple rituals like shared memes and quick photo updates that say, “I’m busy, but you matter.”
Because staying connected doesn’t have to be difficult, it just has to be human.
And being emotionally OOO can actually remind you that you’re allowed to be tired, honest, and held by friendships that just get it.
