Are you feeling socially exhausted before the festive season has even arrived? This is likely to be a ‘yes’ from many busy EAs and PAs ahead of Christmas and the festive season. Our wellness columnist, Julia Green, Sales & Commercial Manager at Center Parcs Conferences & Events draws attention to our social battery and the importance of keeping it charged…
By December, our diaries can start looking less like calendars and more like a hostage situation. Christmas lunches, drinks, awards dinners, client events, networking, family gatherings, school events… and somewhere amongst all of that, we’re still expected to do our actual jobs.
I love a good Christmas gathering. I also love getting home, putting my pyjamas on and speaking to absolutely nobody.
Your social battery is a real thing
We often talk about wellbeing in terms of sleep, exercise and what we’re eating, but I think we sometimes forget just how much socialising can affect how we feel.
Some people genuinely thrive on being around others. They leave an event feeling energised, connected and ready for another round.
Others can have a brilliant evening and still need a considerable amount of time afterwards to recover. Neither is right or wrong.
And for PAs and executive support professionals, there can be an added layer. We spend so much of our working lives communicating, coordinating, anticipating and responding to other people that our capacity for more people can occasionally run out.
It doesn’t mean you don’t like them! It just means your battery needs charging.
Wellness advice for busy EAs and PAs ahead of Christmas: You don’t have to say yes to everything
This is probably easier said than done, particularly at work.
There can be an expectation that Christmas is about joining in. And of course, shared experiences and social connection are hugely important. But saying yes to every invitation, every drink and every event doesn’t automatically make December more enjoyable.
Sometimes the healthiest answer is, “Thank you, but I can’t make it.”
No elaborate excuse required.
And if you do go, you don’t necessarily have to stay until the lights come on. Leaving an event when you’ve had enough isn’t rude. It’s knowing yourself.
Make room for the things that actually fill you up
There’s a difference between spending an evening with people who leave you feeling energised, make you laugh and feel completely yourself, and attending something because you feel you should.
This winter, notice the difference. Make more room for things you enjoy.
And don’t forget January
There’s often a strange pressure to emerge from Christmas in January ready to become our “best selves”.
You don’t need to compensate for December or punish yourself for enjoying it. And you certainly don’t need to launch into a completely new lifestyle because a calendar page has turned. January can be seen as a chance to reset your social battery.
A few quiet evenings. A coffee with a friend. A walk. An early night. A weekend with nowhere to be.
Because wellbeing isn’t about constantly filling your time with things that are good for you.
Sometimes it’s about having the confidence to choose what genuinely makes you feel good – and saying no to the rest.
So, this winter, enjoy the parties. Say yes to the people you love. Dance badly. Laugh loudly.
And when your social battery hits 2%?
Go home. Put your pyjamas on. You’ve done enough.
The column was first published in PA Life’s Winter 2026 Issue.
