By Ken Cates, Speaker | Consultant | Veteran
Civilians love the holiday break. Veterans often dread it. When the operational tempo drops to zero and the emails stop, the silence can get loud. We’re talking about the “Holiday Ceasefire” and why the most dangerous time for a veteran isn’t the work, it’s the quiet.
The emails stop. The office goes dark. The slack channels go silent. For most of the civilian world, the holiday break is a glorious time to relax, recharge, and disconnect.
For a lot of veterans, it’s the hardest two weeks of the year.
In the military, we are wired for “Operational Tempo.” We thrive on friction, movement, and noise. We are used to being surrounded by a unit that eats, sleeps, trains, and deploys together. You are never truly alone, and there is always a task. Your nervous system adapts to high-alert, high-stimulus environments.
When you strip that away—when the tempo hits zero—the silence gets deafening.
The Danger of the “Ceasefire”
That silence is where the demons live. It’s where the loss of purpose feels heaviest. You go from being a critical asset in a high-speed machine to sitting on a couch, watching a Hallmark movie, wondering why you feel agitated while everyone else is relaxing.
Let’s call it what it is: the “Holiday Ceasefire.” For many veterans, it feels less like peace and more like a threat. The brain, trained to scan for danger, doesn’t know what to do with the “nothingness.” So, it invents problems. Anxiety spikes. Depression creeps in. The bottle looks a little more inviting than it did in November.
The Hard Truth for Veterans
It is okay if you don’t feel “merry.” You aren’t broken; you are bored and un-tasked. Your brain is an engine that needs fuel, and “relaxing” isn’t high-octane enough.
Your mission this December isn’t to fake happiness for the sake of the civilians around you. Your mission is to survive the downtime.
- Create a Task: Don’t just sit there. Build something. Train for a specific physical goal—beat the New Year Resolution crowd at the gym. Organize a ruck. Give your brain a problem to solve.
- Find a Temporary ‘Unit’: If you can’t be with your old squad, find a new one. Go to the gym, find a local veterans group, or just grab coffee with a friend. Do not stay in the bunker alone. Isolation is the enemy.
The Hard Truth for Employers
“Time off” isn’t a blessing for everyone. If you lead veterans, you need to understand that you are their current Commanding Officer, whether you realize it or not.
Don’t just send a generic, automated “Happy Holidays” email blast. That means nothing.
Send a text. Make it personal. “Hey, hope you’re good. Take some down-time but be prepared because we have a massive mountain to climb in January. I need you ready.”
A simple signal that they are still part of the team, that they are needed, can break the silence. It reminds them that the ceasefire is temporary and the mission is waiting.
To both veterans and employers: Enjoy the break. But keep your comms open. Check on your people.
Make sure you share the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1. Or text: 838255.
