December Triggers (Why We Overspend, Overeat, Overcommit, Get Emo, and How to Re-center)
December is almost here. Amid the sparkling lights, reunions, and Jose Mari Chan playlists, something else quietly creeps into our lives this season: the December Triggers—those emotional, social, and environmental cues that push us to overspend, overeat, and overcommit.
Every year, we tell ourselves, “This Christmas will be different. I’ll be more intentional.” But the season’s fast pace and emotional charge make it easy to fall into the same old patterns. The good news? With a little awareness and a dash of FQ, we can transform these triggers into opportunities to live more aligned with our values.
Let’s break down what’s really going on—and how to re-center.
1. The Social Comparison Trigger
Christmas in the Philippines is practically an Olympic sport. The decors get grander, gifts get more curated, tables get more abundant. Social media adds another layer of subtle pressure. “Ay, ang ganda ng setup nila!” “Buti pa sila nakapunta sa…”
This is social comparison bias at work. We unconsciously benchmark ourselves against others, forgetting that what we see is curated, filtered, and often financed by 13th-month bonuses or even credit card debt.
FQ Re-center Move:
Ask yourself before buying or booking anything, “Is this aligned with my values or with someone else’s highlight reel?”
Design tip: Write this on a small card and keep it in your wallet. A physical cue interrupts an emotional impulse.
2. The Festive Fog: Overspending Because ‘Tis the Season’
Retailers know that our Emotional Emong is even more vulnerable during the holidays. From the lights to the music to the “limited-time offers,” everything is engineered to activate scarcity bias, loss aversion, and reward-seeking behavior. (To know more biases that can be triggered, check out The Psychology of Money.)
The Festive Fog makes us suspend our usual decision filters because “December naman eh.” The problem is, come January, all those credit card swipes become due with huge amounts, and this is definitely not a good way to start the year!
FQ Re-center Move:
Use this simple 3B+3Q Habit:
Before a purchase, especially for big ones, take 3Bs (Three Breaths) + ask 3Qs (Three Questions):
1. Do I need this?
2. Will my future self thank me for this?
3. Is this within my budget or is my Emotional Emong just taking over?
The pause alone calms down our Emotional Emong and summons our Makatwirang Mak to help you make the right action.
3. The Over-commitment Spiral
Reunions. Dinners. Secret Santas. Outreach activities. Year-end deadlines. We say “yes” to everything because we don’t want to disappoint, and because of FOMO and present bias—we underestimate future stress and overestimate our future capacity.
So, we accept invites thinking, “Kaya ko ‘yan!” Come December, our schedule looks like an over-annotated spreadsheet that’s hard to read!
FQ Re-center Move:
Adopt the Design December principle:
• Pre-block rest days.
• Limit festive days.
• Put a budget for social commitments.
• Keep some gatherings intimate instead of excessive.
Designing your month like a budget frees you from the emotional weight of saying “no,” because you’re saying “yes” to the plan you already set with a clear mind.
4. The Food and Emotion Loop
Christmas food is comforting—sweet, fatty, festive, nostalgic. Year-end fatigue also makes us more vulnerable to ego depletion, where our self-control weakens as the day (or year) progresses.
We end up using food to celebrate, to cope, and even just to “keep going.” But when we overindulge, it affects not just our health but our also our mood and productivity, influencing our financial decisions in subtle ways.
FQ Re-center Move:
Treat food like money.
• Plan indulgences.
• Pre-commit to portions.
• Create bright lines: “Dessert on special days only,” or “No second round of lechon.”
Nothing extreme—just intentional.
5. The Gift-Giving Pressure Cooker
Filipinos equate generosity with quantity and price. But the heart of giving is value, not volume. Behavioral studies show that meaningful gifts create stronger emotional returns than expensive ones.
And yet, many people fall for anchoring bias—setting expectations based on previous years or what others are doing.
FQ Re-center Move:
Shift your anchor:
From “How much should I spend?*” to “What value or emotion do I want to express? Will my gift help the receiver or just add to clutter?”
(*But of course, still within your budget.)
Thoughtful gifts—handwritten letters, experiences, simple favorite treats, homemade and useful items, or something that helps achieve goals—often matter more. You model to your children that generosity is measured by sincerity and thoughtfulness, not price tags.
6. The Year-End Emotional Mix
December is nostalgic. We get together with family, sometimes complete with drama. We remember loved ones who have passed on. We recall missed opportunities, unfinished goals, and disappointments in life. This emotional swirl may lead to “identity spending”—using purchases to compensate for areas where we feel lacking or tired.
FQ Re-center Move:
Do a Year-End Money Reflection. Ask:
• What did my money choices reveal about my values this year?
• What were my wins? (Celebrate—even small victories!)
• What habits no longer serve me?
• What 1–2 shifts do I want for next year?
In fact, I suggest you try our family’s Yearender Tradition. I’ve shared about this several times. You may check some of them out here—video, article, others.
Make this December a High FQ Month!
The December Triggers aren’t bad in themselves—they reflect our desire for joy, connection, and generosity. But when we are not mindful, they can pull us away from living in alignment with our core values.
These FQ Re-center Tips are not meant to be KJ (Kill Joy) in your Christmas celebration. They’re meant to help you celebrate mindfully and with wisdom, so that come January, you wake up not with regret but with gratitude.
So, breathe. Pause. Choose.
Design your December with intention and let your values, not the noise, guide your most meaningful season ever.
Cheers to a High FQ December!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. You know your IQ and EQ. But what about your FQ (Financial Quotient)? Your FQ determines how you handle earning, spending, saving, and investing. Take the FQ Test now. Click here.
2. The best gift you can give someone? The ability to stop stressing about money. Give the gift of High FQ today. Click here.
This article is also published in Philstar.com
