December has an entire genre of music insisting it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Americans, asked directly, are less convinced: 51 percent put December among their three most stressful months, more than any other month on the calendar. It makes sense when you think about it. Somewhere under the twinkle lights is a year’s worth of work due in three weeks and a year-end bonus already spoken for by people you haven’t seen since last December.
January comes next at 37 percent, the holiday hangover arriving right on schedule. Then August and November — meaning the two worst stretches of the American year are the one with all the holidays (Nov-Jan) and the one with none at all (Aug).
According to the Burnout Survey conducted by Southwest Airlines®, 62 percent of Americans say burnout affects when they plan a trip. Most people wait until they’re already fried to start planning a stress-relieving getaway, which is kind of like buying an umbrella when you’re already soaked.
“51% of Americans rank December among their three most stressful months of the year, more than any other month1.”
So book it before you need it. Not because a trip in February undoes the stress of December, but because December goes down easier when you have a trip to look forward to. Put something on the calendar now, while it’s still fall and you’re still making decisions instead of just absorbing them.
The fix is smaller than a whole vacation. A long weekend in early December, before the last two weeks close in. Or something in January, booked now, so the hangover month has a silver lining — somewhere warm if you’re done dealing with weather, somewhere with real snow if you’d rather be cold on purpose for once. Salt Lake City puts you an hour away from the slopes. New Orleans in January is still mild enough to spend entirely outdoors. Either way it’s two or three days you’d otherwise lose to the couch.
? TIME TO PLAN THAT TRIP.Deciding where to go is the fun part, and Southwest® makes it easy to Enter Airplane Mode fast. More travelers fly nonstop on Southwest than any other airline2, so there’s a good chance the destination you keep daydreaming about is just one short flight away. And once you’re on board, Southwest’s award-winning hospitality3 comes courtesy of a crew with more cheer than a workshop full of elves. So get booking Take the Burnout Quiz at airplanemode.Southwest.com to get your burnout score and explore inspiration for your next vacation.
December is coming no matter what. You might as well have a boarding pass waiting on the other side. 
1Based on a Southwest-sponsored survey fielded August 17–25, 2026 with 2,001 adults aged 18–64 living in the U.S.
2 Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey as of Q4 2025.
3 Southwest Airlines Co. ranked first in Best Cabin Crew through USA Today’s 2025 10 Best. Visit 10best.usatoday.com/awards for more details.