January is often presented as a fresh start, but for many people it feels more like a crash landing. After months of pushing through Q4 deadlines, holiday gatherings, financial stress, travel, and increased responsibilities, the body finally stops, and the exhaustion that was building for weeks shows up all at once.

This experience is more common than people realize. Burnout tends to hit when life finally slows down, not when you are pushing through the chaos. If January feels heavier than you expected, you are not alone, and you are not doing anything wrong. Your body is responding to months of running at full capacity.