Building resilience during your holidays
- Jan 27
- 4 min read
Lessons the Christmas break teaches business owners for the year ahead
As soon as January starts, Christmas can feel like a distant memory. But have you noticed that January has a habit of racing by - while simultaneously dragging its heels?
Call it an entirely unscientific bit of research, but something interesting came up again and again in my conversations with clients at the start of the new year. The patterns have been striking and it all relates to resilience.
For those who managed to take time off work on more than just the bank holidays, Christmas became a genuine pause. It was time spent with family and friends - with proper rest and space to think.
Reflection beats resolutions and goals
Of all the people I spoke to, not one mentioned New Year’s resolutions. These days they feel passé. Most people have learned the hard way that setting rigid goals in January can be a fast track to feeling like you’ve failed before the year has properly begun.
Instead, a few clients found themselves doing something far more useful:
They reflected on the year just gone and analysed what worked
They thought strategically about the year ahead and got clear on their ambitions for the new year to come
The sense of clarity and energy this created has been infectious. It’s been an energising start to the year for me too. But before you think “Ugh, another blog about setting more bloody goals!”, that isn’t where I’m going with this.
Why Christmas offers a different kind of holiday break
The Christmas holiday isn’t like other time we take off work. For most people, it’s a staycation. You’re likely to be at home far more than you would be at any other time. It also marks the end of a year. And it’s often loaded with expectations – present-buying, hosting, awkward family relationships, rest, joy, indulgence, recovery.
My clients described it in very different ways:
A much-needed pause that kept burnout at bay
A brief, joyful interlude in the middle of a long, cold, wet winter
A chance to drop routines and discipline for a while
Or simply a moment where the constant doing finally stopped
It doesn’t matter which version of the Christmas holidays you experienced. It’s what you can learn from what you experienced.
Questions you should ask yourself now
Rather than just letting Christmas fade into the rear-view mirror, I think there’s a useful question we can reflect on:
What worked for you during that period – and how could you carry some of it into this year?
We’re not talking about dramatic, life-overhaul changes. We’re looking at what small, sustainable adjustments you can make that support your resilience. Winter is long. If January to March is something you feel you have to endure every year, it’s worth asking yourself whether there’s another way.
Learning from your own experience - and why it matters
Over the holidays, I gave myself several days with:
No plans
No deadlines
No requirements (other than walking and feeding my dog)
I had lie-ins. Made breakfast and went back to bed with it. Read an engrossing book with the dog curled up beside me. If I didn’t open the curtains until 3pm, I knew I’d properly rested.
In the past, I haven’t enjoyed this time of year at all. This year, instead of fighting it, I’ve made winter a season of cosy indulgence. I’ve brought in practices I know I’ll only allow myself while I can’t be tempted outside by good weather.
The result? I no longer dread winter. I actually really enjoy this opportunity to do this for myself. I’m fortunate – and you may well have responsibilities which mean that having this amount of time to yourself is just not possible. However…
Turn reflection into something useful
There are ways you can make your own reflections on the Christmas period more practical than sentimental:
Identify what genuinely restores you
Don’t look at what you think should have helped – look at what actually did. Was it sleep? Fewer social commitments? Slower mornings? Mental space? Bath bombs?!
Separate relief from avoidance
There’s a difference between rest that replenishes you and switching off because you’re exhausted or overwhelmed. Both matter, but they tell you different things.
Choose one thing to continue
You don’t need to recreate Christmas. But you can at least pick one small element you could keep through winter. A slower start one morning a week, for example, or fewer evening commitments. Maybe more white space in your diary with permission to get on with that creative project.
Let winter be what it is
Winter is winter. Energy is often lower and motivation fluctuates. It’s not a personal failing – it’s just a seasonal reality. Many species hibernate and we are of course animals too; why not embrace cosy opportunities? Adjust your expectations rather than fighting yourself.
Resilience: the bigger picture
How are you building resilience during your holidays? Resilience isn’t built through pushing harder. It’s built through understanding what supports you before you find you’re running on empty.
If your Christmas break gave you even a glimpse of what helps you feel calmer, clearer, or more like yourself, it’s worth paying attention. Winter doesn’t have to be something to get through. It can be something you work with.
And, as the days get longer again, you might even miss parts of it. Can you take something forward? Do you accept the challenge?