“Relief seeking often turns into relief dumping, where we offload our stress onto someone else without even realizing it.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession calls out a year-end pattern that drains our nervous systems and strains our relationships at work. As the holidays approach and the pressure to “get everything wrapped up” intensifies, many leaders unintentionally pass their stress onto someone else. Rebecca breaks down why this happens, how our bodies interpret the season as a threat, and what it looks like to lead with humanity instead of urgency.

Through storytelling, science, and a grounded understanding of human behavior, she offers a compassionate yet firm reminder that most tasks can wait, our nervous systems need space, and our people deserve grace. This episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and choose rhythms that honor real human capacity during the busiest time of the year.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why year-end urgency pushes teams into activation and overwhelm
• How relief-seeking turns into stress-dumping and what to do instead
• Practical steps to lead with clarity, softness, and shared humanity

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:43) The year-end hot potato problem

(01:59) The overstimulated brain

(05:01) Understanding displaced activation

(06:53) Grace and humanity during the holidays

(10:26) Practical tips for year-end planning

(15:40) Reflection questions for leaders

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/