Making the Holidays Less Stressful

This may be the first year in a few that many of us will be lucky to be surrounded by family and friends over the holidays. Which means that this time of year will be filled with both and stress. Especially when you run a business. Instead of enjoying our families, we business owners, managers and supervisors feel guilty for not being more productive. And on the flip side, if we do keep working, we feel guilty for not spending more time with family.

Here are some tips I’ve collected to make the holidays less stressful but still feel like we’re accomplishing our business goals.

Organize. Since you know that you won’t be “working” the way you would during a normal work week or month, plan your tasks and projects accordingly. Make to-do lists: one for the important things that you need to get done before the break and another for what you need to work on after the break.

Schedule well ahead of time. Don’t wait until the last minute to ask for time off. Talk with your family and coworkers to find out how much time you and they would like to take off. And make sure to let everyone know when you will be gone. Keep in mind that not everyone celebrates the same way you do so don’t assume you’ll be able to make those last-minute plans to socialize with relatives or visit customer accounts.

Keep gift giving small. If you decide to give coworkers gifts, keep them small and low-cost. Or do something for the entire department, floor or building, like bringing something to share with the whole team.

Pace yourself. The last thing you want is to disappoint, so make sure you end up with work and social activities that are manageable and that you can deliver on. This includes taking into account that other people might be on their holiday vacation, as well as remembering you also need your own sleep, exercise, and relaxation. You might feel like the Energizer Bunny now but it’s easy to wear yourself out. Remember to take care of yourself. No one wants to be sick over the holidays.

Keep your exercise routine. Shorter days take their toll on everyone’s energy, and that’s before you throw in bad weather, increased traffic and a sense of needing to get everything done before time off. One way to get energized at the office is by getting exercise. Skip the elevator and use the stairs, park in the last row in the parking lot, or go for a walk outside each day at lunch.

Know the consequences of NOT taking time off. For many of us, taking time away feels like a luxury. Some 25 percent of US workers don’t take any vacation at all. But working too much makes us stupider, according to the American Journal of Epidemiology, and actually hurts our chances for a promotion or better job. That’s according to a study by Ernst & Young that found a positive relationship between fewer hours overall and performance. For each additional ten hours away from the office employees took, their performance reviews were eight percent higher the following year!

The holidays can be a fun and joyous time. Stay calm and focus on what needs to be done at the office when you’re there so that you can relax when you leave. Rather than feeling like you got off track because you were enjoying the good cheer of the season, continue the momentum you have going. The key is remembering the holidays are a chance to just enjoy being with friends and family, including your work family! After all, on their deathbeds, no one ever said say “I wish I had spent more time at work.” Just sayin’. 

Published: New Mexico Apartment News Magazine – Nov/Dec 2022