Thank Goodness for Thanksgiving

Is Thanksgiving arriving just in time this year?  There are some years when Thanksgiving is a family/friend’s dinner of gratitude for who we have and what we have in our lives.  This year is so different.  It has been a year of turmoil, and we may very likely be suffering from Crisis Fatigue.

I researched that term because it popped in my head and that usually means I need to look at it closely.  Rarely do I have the TV on anymore.  It is hard to watch the news and not feel totally exhausted by what I hear.  It is overwhelming.  Since this rings true with me, I thought perhaps you might be experiencing similar feels.

We are experiencing crisis fatigue.  We are worn out, left with feelings of frustration, anxiety, disgust, grief helplessness and even apathy.  It can impact our relationships as well as our motivation to work toward the changes we would like to see in the world. (Arianna Gallagher, Crisis fatigue: How to manage emotional exhaustion.)

There are definite signs that you could be experiencing crisis fatigue:

Energy Depletion: When demands on our energy outweigh our supply, the result is exhaustion.  You are running on fumes!

Moral Injury: this is distress related to perpetuating, witnessing or failing to prevent acts that conflict with one’s own moral beliefs, values or ethical codes of conduct.  We have so many examples of this these days.  It is unimaginable to conceive of the pain and despair that victims of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine live with every day.

Mental and Physical Effects: Constant exposure to stress and crisis activate the body’s survival system.  The stress hormones of adrenalin, cortisol, and norepinephrine are released to respond to ‘fight or flight’.  Being in a chronic state of stress can impact the immune system, cause inflammation, interfere with digestion, and elevate blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 

This constant stress state can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. 

Believe it or not, that brings me to Thanksgiving.  This holiday has typically been a respite from our everyday lives.  It is not about spending, but it is about sharing.  When the government shutdown was on – many people came together to make sure that those less fortunate received food, clothing and other necessities to help them survive.  The altruism that was evident was healing for all of us.  This was an answer to the moral injury we were experiencing. 

Thanksgiving allows us the time to look inward and see how we are doing.  Do we still watch the Thanksgiving Day parades and the line up of football games, or Christmas movies that are on that day?  It is a day where there are no expectations of gifts, or expensive dinners but a day we get to celebrate everyone in our lives. 

Relish the holiday that is about ‘thanks.  Use that reset to get you through the last month of 2025 and hopefully, we will all be looking at a more optimistic 2026.

#crisisfatigue #chronicstress #healthandwellbeing #emotionalexhaustion #Thanksgiving

Reference:

Galligher,A. (May 21, 2025). Crisis fatigue: How to manage emotional exhaustion. Retrieved from https://health.osu.edu/health/mental-health/crisis-fatigue-how-to-manage-mental-exhaustion