Maintaining The Balance During The Holidays In 7 Easy Ways
As the holiday season inches closer, we can't help but feel excited and stressed at the same time. We are excited about the time off we will get after a busy year and stressed about the innumerable tasks we need to check off our to-do lists. With strategy meetings for the next year, end-of-year projects that need to be completed, Christmas shopping, and many more responsibilities, the holiday season is more hectic than any of us would like. However, there is a way to avoid this holiday overload and get everything sorted out without becoming overwhelmed. Read on to discover 7 secrets to achieve work-life balance during this holiday season.
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7 Ways To Achieve Work-Life Balance During Christmas
1. Plan Ahead
Your calendar will be your best friend during the whirlwind that is the holiday season. In it, you can note all the important professional and personal events you can't forget about. These could include high-priority meetings, project deadlines, or any other job obligations you may have. As for personal events, the good thing is that they are usually planned way ahead of time. It's easy to know months in advance your exact vacation dates and schedule job tasks around them. This way, you can front-load in the months leading up to your break so that when the holiday chaos erupts, you have the extra time you need to stay ahead of the game.
2. Set Your Priorities
How can you expect to achieve work-life balance if you don't know what your priorities are? The holidays can be a very demanding time, but if you know beforehand what's important to you, you can experience them the way you want. Start by making a list of all work and personal activities and highlight non-negotiable ones. Once you do that, you can order whatever is left in order of importance. Be prepared for the inevitable rejections you will have to send some people, as there are only so many hours in the day. And although you can't say no to work-related responsibilities, there will certainly be a few that you can delegate or push to next year.
3. Don't Be Afraid To Say No
It's impossible to find time for everything, so don't stress yourself and start saying no every now and then. If your manager asks you to jump into a new project, don't immediately agree. Take a step back to check your existing workload, and then respond. Setting boundaries and sticking to them doesn't make you selfish, but rather protects your sanity. This goes for friends as well. Regardless of how much you'd like to, you can't attend every event you're invited to. Make sure to be purposeful in whatever you do. Avoid online shopping during work hours and don't check emails when spending time with family or friends. This will bring you closer to achieving a work-life balance and minimize the guilt of not having time for everything.
4. Adjust Your Work Schedule
You might need to rethink your work arrangements to survive the holiday overload. Maybe commuting takes longer due to the bad weather conditions, or you need to squeeze some Christmas shopping into your day. If this is the case for you, don't hesitate to ask your boss to work from home a couple days of the week. Of course, that doesn't mean that you will work less than normal. However, having the ability to utilize the hours you would spend commuting to run errands or bake that batch of cookies for your child's school will make you feel a little more in control of your schedule.
5. Avoid What Stresses You
Although stress can often sneak up on us, we all know a few things that will set us off without fail. That could be a certain end-of-year work task that requires hours to be completed or something personal, such as Christmas shopping or cooking the festive meal. There's no reason to ruin your holidays by giving in to things you don't enjoy. Find support in those around you to deal with the stressors you can't avoid. But if you can, don't hesitate to delegate or outsource them completely. Besides, grocery stores and bakeries exist for a reason.
6. Set Aside Time For You
You can never hope to achieve work-life balance if you don't actively set aside time for yourself. Apart from noting down vacation dates in your calendar, which is a given, try to schedule some time for decompressing every day. Set aside 30 minutes or an hour during which you can take a walk, read a book, or drink your coffee in peace. Exercising is also important, as it improves your mood and helps you relax. Once you take these measures, you will notice your energy levels rising and the holiday season becoming much more enjoyable.
7. Know How To Unplug
We just discussed the importance of enjoying some "me time," but it won't do you much good if you don't know how to actually unplug. If you leave the office to relax for a while at your favorite coffee spot but end up checking emails, you might as well have never gone. You must use your downtime for what it is: time to unwind and let your mind rest from the everyday whirlwind of thoughts. So, when spending time with family or taking a walk, resist the urge to check your phone and enjoy some much-needed relaxation.
Conclusion
Navigating the holiday season can be challenging, especially when you're juggling work, family, and friends. Nevertheless, it is possible to get through your list of responsibilities while also managing to have some fun in between. The tips we shared in this article will help you achieve the work-life balance you so crave and get through the holidays without letting anyone down and, most importantly, without bringing yourself to the brink of burnout.
