Advent Sunday: Making Room for Wellbeing in a Season That Pulls Us Thin

By Jo Pountney

Advent Sunday marks the beginning of a season of expectation, a time when we pause, breathe, and prepare our hearts. Yet for many of us, the weeks leading up to Christmas are anything but calm.

If I'm honest, this is the time of year when life can feel the heaviest. As a single mum, December arrives with a long list of expectations: presents to buy, school events to remember, meals to plan, magic to create, and all the invisible emotional labour that comes with being the person who “makes Christmas happen.”

Then add work into the mix, especially running your own business, and suddenly the pressure doubles. Year-end deadlines. Clients who all need “one more thing” before the holiday break. The mental load of holding everything together. For many of us who are self-employed, December feels less like a gentle descent into Christmas and more like a sprint we didn’t train for.

And yet… Advent invites us into something radically different. Not more hustle. Not perfect schedules. Not achieving a flawless Christmas. But making room, in our minds, in our hearts, and yes, in our overwhelmed calendars.

Wellbeing Isn’t a Luxury

I’ve learned (often the hard way) that neglecting my wellbeing is usually the first sign that I’m slipping into survival mode. The temptation is to push through, to be the strong one, the planner, the provider, the business owner who “just keeps going.”

But I’m reminded that even Jesus took time away from the crowds to rest, pray, and breathe. If the Son of God recognised the need to pause, how much more should we give ourselves permission to step back?

Wellbeing isn’t self-indulgence, it’s part of how we honour the God who created us.

Training Helps Until Perfectionism Creeps In

One of the ways I usually carve out breathing space is by training. Moving my body helps me reset my mind, ease stress, and reconnect with myself. It’s one of the few things I do purely for me.

But here’s the truth most people don’t see: even the things meant to give us life can become sources of pressure when perfectionism whispers in our ear.

You should be faster.
You should do more.
You shouldn’t skip a session.
You’re falling behind.

Suddenly, training isn’t restorative; it’s one more thing to “get right.” One more standard to meet. And one more opportunity to feel like we’re not enough.

This Advent, I’m reminding myself that my worth isn’t measured by productivity, progress, or performance, in work, parenting, or fitness. God is not asking for perfection; He is inviting us to presence.