There's a reason why October is categorically the worst month of the year.

If you want to support independent women's media, become a Mamamia subscriber. Get an all-access pass to everything we make, including exclusive podcasts, articles, videos and our exercise app, MOVE.

Is it just me, or did New Year's Eve feel like it was yesterday? We were only just ringing in 2025, making plans and promises for the 'year ahead'.

And suddenly, Christmas wrapping paper, matching family Grinch pyjamas and glazed hams are front and centre in the shops.

The weather has warmed up, bringing with it a flurry of social activities as calendars fill up fast. The group chat is lit with requests for "December avails" for Christmas catch-ups already…

Watch: Mamamia Out Loud discusses why we're in the midst of a 'Rapunzel Era'. Post continues below.

Work is busier than ever, the kids' activities are ramping up and seemingly never-ending.

We should all be feeling pretty good with the end of year in sight... so why are we feeling the overwhelming urge to quit our job and move to Vanuatu?

Welcome to "The October Slump" – also known as the October Slide. It's that period where we're clawing towards the finish line (end of the year) and feeling like we're drowning in hard tasks and unmet goals.

Just as we've recovered from the winter flu season, it's also when chronic illnesses tend to flare up. I had gastro last week — how, why, who? It feels like half the office is dropping like flies.

This phenomenon has been well-documented by psychologists in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to Medic Alert UK, this period refers to a slump in energy, mood and overall health. It's a term that may be new to some, but many of us are painfully familiar with the feeling.

So how do we get through to the festive period without running away to a deserted island, throwing our phones in the sea, and actually feeling festive?

Listen: The actual reason why October makes us cranky — and how to fix it. Post continues below.

The psychology behind the slump.

Mamamia's twice-daily podcast The Quicky sat down with clinical counsellor and psychotherapist Sarah Bays to explore why we're all categorically feeling this way and how to climb out of the slump.

"There's something about October where we can kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we're not quite there yet, and we've been really pushing ourselves most of the year," Sarah told Mamamia.

"There's steam running out of the tank at this time of year, and maybe it's even daylight saving too — the days are longer. It feels like summer is here, so work and tasks and goals feel a bit more boring."

"When the brighter, funner, happier weather is here, it's harder to force ourselves to do the tasks and things that we may not be as passionate or interested about. It's more of a FOMO (fear of missing out) now — there's something fun and nice and happy I'm missing out on while I'm doing this boring thing."

How to navigate the October slide.

So we're all slogging through the last quarter, the kids have hit the harrowing 'term four' grumps, the wheels are falling off and motivation is at an all-time low.

How do we move through it?

Refresh your why.

"Number one is refreshing your why," Sarah advised. "Whether that's your 'why' as a parent, or helping your kid refresh what their why is. What are the goals or things that I need to achieve between now and the end of the year? And why is it important to me?"

"Because we can get so caught up in the slog, we need to ask why this is important — and then there's nothing wrong with incentives," she offered.

Know your motivation style.

"Is your child intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated? Does my child respond well to praise and acknowledgement, or do they respond better to treats or quality time? Really sprinkle some of that in those last few months," Sarah suggested.

Audit your priorities.

For the grown-ups, Sarah suggests a reality check: "If there's something that is really not sparking joy, if there's something that we are finding really difficult, is this something that I do need to push on with, or is it something that actually is no longer that relevant, no longer much of a priority?"

"If it isn't, get rid of it because we've got enough stuff that we need to save our energy for in the last few months of the year."

Dealing with goal anxiety.

I think I can speak for the group here when I say there's also a collective fear of failure around not achieving the goals we set ourselves for this year, plus the overwhelm of not having enough months left to achieve them.

Sarah empowers us to ask ourselves: is it even realistic that I can achieve that goal in the next three to four months?

"And if it's not, is there a smaller goal, or is it a completely different path I'm going towards?"

"Sometimes we need to radically accept that what we really wanted to achieve this year has not happened. And I can either be grumpy and frustrated and down about that, or I can open my eyes to what else is there and what can I be doing instead?" Sarah advised.

The light at the end of the tunnel.

The October Slump is real, validated, and temporary. It's a collective experience that reminds us we're human — not productivity machines designed to maintain peak performance year-round.

By acknowledging this seasonal dip, reassessing our priorities, and being kinder to ourselves about what we can realistically achieve, we can navigate these final months with more grace and less guilt.

The finish line is in sight, and sometimes the most productive thing we can do is simply survive October with our sanity intact.

That well-deserved break will be here before we know it.

Are you in the October slump trenches with us? What are your tips for getting through? Share in the comments below!

Feature Image: Getty.

You can hear Sarah Bays on Mamamia's brand-new podcast This Is Why We Fight. Where you're invited to be a fly on the wall for a raw, unscripted, and intimate therapy session with real couples.