Managing Holiday Stress

Managing Holiday Stress

As a busy professional, you know what it's like to have tons of balls in the air you're juggling while also balancing your professional life. With the winter season upon us, we're heading into the holiday season as well. Winter can affect many people's moods in general – throw the chaos of plans, travel, cooking, and blowing a budget on gift-giving< into the mix, and things can get challenging quickly! There are ways to manage the stress of the holidays while keeping your head above water in your professional life, too, though. Keep reading for tips on how to make that a reality instead of another Christmas Wish. We hope that this Managing Holiday Stress post inspires you. 

Managing Holiday Stress

Keep Your Healthy Habits Going 

The first and easiest thing you can do to balance your workload during the holiday season is to keep up with what you already do. Sure, it can feel like there aren't enough hours in the day and you need to work later into the night, whether that's writing e-mails or wrapping presents, but try to avoid this at all costs. Relieving stress and sleep go hand in hand, so don't cut into your sleep schedule to get things done. When you're busy and stressed, you may skip meals, don't do this either! Keep up with your healthy eating habits and make sure you're nourishing yourself. When you give your body whole foods instead of over-processed junk, you give it the fuel it needs to cram in a couple more “to-do's” into that hour instead of dragging energy levels that make you procrastinate. Lastly, make sure you prioritize physical exercise and movement. When you exercise, your body releases essential chemicals to keep your mood up, making your holiday list seem achievable instead of intimidating. 

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Shop Smartly

When shopping for people on your list, make sure you're shopping as smart as possible. Keep things simple, and don't overwhelm yourself trying to find the latest and greatest gift for everyone. If you are buying a gift for someone this holiday season, you know them well. Don't waste your money on things you're not even sure if they'd like, gift cards to their favorite restaurants are a smart and easy gift. Subscription services and experience gifts are easy to buy online, and you're done. Don't waste time going from store to store trying to hunt something down if your professional life doesn't afford you that kind of time. 

Use Your PTO!

If you've got personal or holiday time saved up, and you're feeling overwhelmed this season, now is the time to use it. Of course, most employers prefer or require some form of advanced notice, so make sure you're giving that, but use that PTO; you earned it. Additionally, some companies don't roll over your time, so the end of the year may be “use it or lose it” time; if you know that the holiday stress on top of work overwhelms you every year, plan by taking time off during some of the holiday months, whether it's November or December. You could even plan a trip for just yourself (or a companion too) to somewhere tropical to take your mind off things. In addition, you may also introduce the use of time-off management software which will simplify the leave application/approval process, and PTO balance tracking, which will be beneficial for both employees and the management.

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Remember The Reasons 

Lastly, it's always a good idea to remember the reason for the season. The holiday season is all about spending time with friends and loved ones, creating memories that last a lifetime. If you're able to get your shopping done early, you can have a couple of months just to enjoy those you care about and cozy up with some hot chocolate. Enjoy the winter for what it is. Sure, it may be cold outside, but you've got twinkling lights lining the streets, the smell of freshly baked treats on the regular, and you might even see some snowfall depending on where you live. Embrace this time of year for the magic it holds instead of the stress it can bring. 

Managing work and private lives is complicated enough without throwing back-to-back holidays on top of them. On top of using the tips mentioned above to keep your sanity this season, plan as much as possible to stave off the feelings of overwhelm. And remember, you got this. We hope that this Managing Holiday Stress post inspires you. Happy Holidays!

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