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The holiday season can be a time of tremendous joy and relaxation, but it can also be incredibly stressful for those who have to manage various work-related responsibilities at the same time. While it’s important to ensure your professional life is taken care of, it’s just as essential to take some time to relax and enjoy your time with your family. It can be a tough balance to strike, but it is possible for even the busiest people.
There isn’t a one size fits all approach to juggling work and holidays, but there are some key things you can do to fit in more downtime while still getting things done. We’ll discuss some tips and tricks to help you enjoy the holidays without getting burnt out trying to cram too much work into too little time.
Plan Ahead
A surefire way to get stressed during the holidays is to have events and appointments take you by surprise. The most effective way to avoid this stress is to plan out your days as far ahead as possible. Write down high-priority appointments in your calendar, make a note of plans with the family, and most importantly, allow yourself some dedicated time for relaxation.
Without any proper structure, important commitments may get lost in the shuffle, and the best you’ll be able to do is hope you can reschedule them for another time. And if you can’t tell yourself to relax once in a while, you’ll exhaust yourself to the point where you won’t be able to enjoy the holidays at all.
Take it Slow
The holidays are your opportunity to spend time with your family, connect with friends, and generally slow down after a long year of hard work. To ensure this time doesn’t go wasted, take a step back from work now and then and enjoy some quality time with the people around you. At the end of the day, the love you shared with those closest to you will feel much more rewarding than how high you tried climbing up the corporate ladder.
Prioritize What’s Most Important
When you must work, prioritize the most pressing issues before they pile up unexpectedly. The more stressful tasks you can get done first, the more you’ll be able to relax when taking on simpler tasks. And as the holidays crawl closer and closer, any remaining work will feel like a breeze compared to the more significant work you completed before.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help
One of the worst things someone can do when juggling work and the holidays is to think they have to do it alone. Not only do you have friends and family who are ready and willing to help, but odds are they know exactly how you’re feeling.
If you’re responsible for preparing dishes for a holiday dinner, but you can’t get to it because of a looming work deadline, call on a trusted family member to pick up the slack. Or if a work assignment is keeping you from spending quality time with those you love, ask a coworker if they can lend a hand so you can get out of the office faster.
If the holidays have proven anything, it’s that they’re a time when the help of a good person is never far away.
Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey. She writes for Maryville, an addiction treatment center in New Jersey.
