Switching off without guilt as a business owner.

For many business owners, Christmas doesn’t arrive with a neat pause button. The emails might slow down, but the mental to do list often doesn’t. There is usually something left to finish, reply to, plan or prepare for January.

That can make switching off feel harder than it should. Instead of rest, the end of the year can come with quiet pressure to wrap everything up properly before you are allowed to relax.

This year, we've been thinking a lot about that feeling.

Why it can feel hard to rest

When you run your own business, responsibility doesn't disappear just because it's Christmas. Clients still exist, money still matters and ideas for next year keep turning over in your head.

Many of us are also used to measuring progress by productivity - finishing tasks, clearing inboxes and ticking lists can start to feel like the price of rest. If everything isn't done, it can feel undeserved to stop. The thing is, there will always be another task, another improvement, another thing that could be done.

What rest actually looks like

Rest does not mean everything is perfectly wrapped up. It doesn't mean your inbox is empty or your January plan is complete.

Sometimes rest looks like setting an out of office and trusting that most things can wait. Sometimes it looks like leaving a few loose ends and choosing not to carry them into the Christmas season with you. Sometimes it is simply stepping back mentally, even if the business itself never fully switches off.

Rest is not a reward for being productive enough - it is a necessary part of running a sustainable business.

Small ways to care for yourself over Christmas

Self care at this time of year doesn't need to be elaborate or performative. It can be practical and quiet.

That might mean...

• Writing down what can wait until January so it stops looming in your head

• Checking emails less often rather than not at all

• Giving yourself permission to enjoy time that has nothing to do with your business

Even small boundaries can make a big difference.

Ending the year gently

Take this as your reminder that you do not need to finish everything to end the year well. You do not need a perfect plan for January or a fully cleared list to justify slowing down.

Letting yourself rest, even imperfectly, is not falling behind. It is choosing to take care of yourself so you can come back clearer and calmer in the new year.

However this Christmas looks for you, we hope there is space in it to slow down, even if some things are left undone.

For more tips, check out our post How to unplug from work this holiday season.