It’s Okay to Slow Down This Christmas: A Message for us all – Business Owners and Consumers

We’ve become so accustomed to moving fast throughout the year that slowing down can feel almost… rebellious.

But maybe this Christmas, rebellion is exactly what we need.

Take this as your permission to slow down…

If you are a repair business owner, you have spent the entire year showing up. From early mornings to late nights, juggling emails, social media, customer messages, orders, staffing challenges and the thousand invisible pieces that keep your business running.

This has been a year of economic uncertainty with tough decisions to be made and ever-squeezed budgets to consider. You’ve given your energy, your ideas, your heart. And the truth is, you are not alone in feeling exhausted.

Without set hours, paid holidays or automatic sick leave, many of us feel compelled to work all the time. In fact, research shows that over half of small business owners in the UK have experienced poor mental health in the past year, with many working more than 46 hours per week and a third surviving on less than five hours’ sleep a night. Three-quarters take fewer than 20 days of annual leave (well below the UK statutory annual leave entitlement of 28 days), and many admit they don’t take time off even when their health is suffering. (Simply Business 2025)

This relentless pace contributes to issues like anxiety, depression and burnout, and highlights just how important true rest and boundaries are for anyone who works for themselves.

Now is the time to give yourself rest.

This Christmas, it is more than okay to close the doors, turn off the emails, silence the notifications and step away from the expectations.

You don’t have to be “on” all the time. Your business does not define your entire worth as a person, and your customers will be there when you return.

Rest is not a luxury. It is an essential requirement. And this season is your invitation to take it wholeheartedly.

This message applies to us all…not just business owners, but us as consumers too.

As consumers, we have become increasingly addicted to the sense of urgency. Mass manufacturing businesses have fuelled our brains to want more and more, so that they can sell more and extract more profit for their shareholders.

They’ve trained us to follow trends, buy lower quality items, throw them away when they break and start the cycle all over again.

But we all need to stop and pause. We do not have to live like this. We can choose to buy from local independent businesses, growing our local economies, not funding a billionaire’s next hair-brained idea to ruin the planet for their gain.

To do this, we need to take a step back from the urgency. We need to remember that small independent business owners are not robots; they are human beings.

Behind every message you send, every order you place, every post you comment on – a real person is trying their best. Someone with a family. Someone who gets tired. Someone who needs rest, just like you.

This Christmas, let’s shift from expectation to empathy.

If your favourite shop doesn’t reply straight away…
If the online store you love has shut its checkout for the week…
If the local maker posts that they’re taking time off…

Pause. Breathe. And remember: this is good. This is healthy.

By lowering our expectations, by letting go of urgency, by resisting the “instant response” culture that mass consumption has created, we give business owners the freedom to rest without guilt.

We give ourselves the permission and freedom to enjoy time spent with family, friends or even have a few days of solitude away from it all. We give ourselves the space we need to reset and repair ourselves.

This empathy is a powerful gift.

A Season for Stillness

For all of us, whether we run a business or support one, this is a chance to reset.

Instead of rushing, we can savour.
Instead of demanding, we can appreciate.
Instead of expecting instant answers, we can offer patience.
Instead of always wanting more, we can be content with enough.

Christmas doesn’t have to be a race.
It can be a moment. A breath. A slowing down.

A Chance to Reset for a More Mindful, Eco-Friendly 2026

So this is our challenge to you – this festive period, give yourself and others time to rest. Take the time as an opportunity to gently reset the habits we’ve carried through the year.

When we slow down, we naturally step back from the constant push of consumerism and urgency that has become so normal.

In that stillness, we can reflect on what we truly value. This break can become a powerful moment to re-enter the new year with more intention: choosing to buy less but better, supporting local makers in sustainable ways, reducing waste and embracing a slower, eco-friendlier lifestyle.

By pausing now, we give ourselves the space to realign with what matters so we can walk into 2026 with lighter footprints, calmer minds and habits that support both our wellbeing and the planet.

Let’s bring back an empathetic way of living, where we care for each other and our possessions.

Imagine a future where we all honour boundaries.

Where business owners feel supported for taking time off.

Where consumers understand that a delayed reply isn’t a sign of poor service – it’s a sign of a healthy human being protecting their wellbeing.

Imagine a world where rest is normal, not earned.

We can choose that world and we can create it together.

P.S. For those of you who may use the time between Christmas and New Year for a tidy up and sort out… don’t forget to check out our Donate and Recycle section to find some wonderful initiatives near you that can help you keep your items in use even when you don’t need or want them anymore.