Chanukah, Executive Functioning, and the Real Reason You Feel Out of Control.

Chanukah, Executive Functioning, and the Real Reason You Feel Out of Control

Chanukah is a beautiful holiday — music, light, warmth, family, the sparkle in the kids’ eyes. But behind the scenes, many women experience the exact opposite internally:

Overwhelm. Messy routines. Emotional eating. Carb spirals. Exhaustion.And a tiny voice saying, “What’s wrong with me?”

Nothing is wrong with you. You’re experiencing an executive functioning overload.

Why Chanukah Is So Hard for Women’s Brains

Chanukah creates the perfect storm for dysregulation:

• Bedtime routines shift

• Meals happen later

• There are extra decisions and tasks

• Kids are off schedule

• High-carb foods are constantly present

• Nighttime becomes overstimulating instead of restful

Your brain isn’t failing you. It’s trying to navigate too much.

As I told the women in my Thrive group this month:

“It’s not a discipline problem. It’s an executive functioning problem.”

When the brain is overwhelmed, it loses:

• planning

• sequencing

• impulse control

• transitions

• the ability to pause before eating

And then you blame yourself for what is simply your nervous system asking for help.

What Actually Works During Chanukah

Our Thrive group built three simple, sane pillars:

1. Pre-Decision Instead of In-the-Moment Decision

When you decide while tired, you choose relief.When you decide while calm, you choose values.

This week, choose three things in advance:

• When you will eat dinner

• When the kitchen closes

• What your personal latke/donut boundary is

Your brain relaxes when it doesn’t need to negotiate with itself.

2. Stabilize the Day to Stabilize the Night

This surprises women the most: Nighttime struggles are solved in the morning and afternoon, not at night.

Protein early → cravings drop. Structure early → chaos dissolves. Hydration early → snacking reduces.

3. Who You Are Becoming

The most powerful sentence that came out of our session was:

“I can celebrate with light and still feel grounded in my food.”

You don’t need to shrink your joy to stay healthy. You just need support, clarity, and a system that honors your real life.

If You Need Support, Thrive Is Open

Thrive is more than a group. It’s a community of Jewish women learning how to:

• build structure

• eat with calm

• stop the shame spiral

• break generational patterns

• nourish themselves without deprivation

• show up for holidays with presence, not panic

If Chanukah feels heavy — or if every holiday throws you off — you don’t need to do this alone.

Click to join the Thrive waitlist / message me privately.

Lost in overwhelm at a bustling Chanukah event, she becomes absorbed in her own thoughts, missing the moment's warmth and joy.