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It’s all fun and games till Santa checks his naughty list.
—unknown
If you can believe it, we’re a mere 7 weeks away from bidding adieu to 2023 and saying hello to 2024! And is the holiday season that starts around mid-November and goes until the start of the next year “the most wonderful time of year”? Not necessarily. BUT, don’t fret as here are the top 9 tips for how to survive the rush to year’s end!
When it comes to the holidays, some people love them, some people hate them, and some people fall somewhere in the middle of that continuum. Odds are good, though, that even if you’re one of those people who absolutely adore the holiday season, you’re still likely to have at least a few stressful moments over the coming weeks. And if you’re someone who thinks January 2 can’t get here soon enough, the next couple of months might be difficult indeed.
Whether your pain points are drunk uncles and grumpy grandmas, career-derailing antics at the office holiday party, or just the general go-go-go busy-ness of the season, you’re not alone. Just know, you can take steps to balance out whatever negativity and stress you encounter this winter. Let’s take a look at how to manage some of those most common stressors of the holiday season.
Manage Your Schedule
The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
—Stephen Covey
With so many social events happening over the holiday season, your schedule can fill up before you know it. This is not a good thing, though: you need to leave enough space for you to be able to meet your commitments (both professional and personal)—and you need some down time for yourself.
Guess what? You can say no to social invitations! (This includes many of the seemingly obligatory ones, because when you take a close look at such so-called obligations, you’ll see that the vast majority of them are actually optional.) Conserve your energy—and preserve your sanity—by saying yes only to those that you truly want to accept.
That said, there are some times when you have to attend an event that you are not especially looking forward to. In those cases, deploy the “see and be seen” strategy: make a beeline to the people who need to see your face at this event. Once you’re confident that they know you were there, you’re free to leave.
And meanwhile, if you’re concerned about how to get everything done in the office (along with the added tasks for the holidays), check out an earlier blog I wrote entitled “Cramming It All In: Project Management Techniques for Surviving the Year-End Madness” which walks you through how to identify what is truly critical (vs. important) and how to get it all done before year-end.
Find Your Calm
The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful.
—Kelsang Gyatso
I’ve mentioned meditation many times in the past, and for good reason: it’s an amazingly effective tool that can help you reduce stress, focus your thoughts, and center yourself. Whether you’re ducking into the bathroom for a brief respite from the in-laws at a family get-together, taking a pause at your desk before heading off to the next meeting, or reflecting on (and perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed by) your many holiday-related social commitments this year, a daily two-minute meditation can help bring your stress level down and stop negative thoughts from spiraling out of control.
As you breathe deeply and deliberately, focus on the facts. Sometimes when we are anxious, our minds race and start creating “what if?” scenarios or fantasizing disaster. Recognize those fictions for what they are—and actively decide to turn your thoughts back to what is real.
Choose a positive intention to embrace: happiness, peace, goodness, gratitude, etc. Then go back to whatever you were doing.
Keep Moving
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.
—Jim Rohn
I’m not always at the top of my fitness game throughout most of the year, but for some reason during the holiday season my exercise mojo hits its peak. (Since exercise is a proven stress reliever, I’m pretty sure this bump in my exercise routine is how my subconscious helps me manage the stress of the season.)
For many people, though, the opposite is true: during this time of year, gym routines often falter. If that’s you, don’t beat yourself up about missing your usual schedule, but do your best not to let exercise fall by the wayside completely. Rather than feel you must either continue hardcore daily workouts or jettison your exercise routine altogether, find the middle path and commit to getting at least some exercise every few days.
Find the Positives with Your Family
Santa Claus has the right idea: visit people only once a year.
—Victor Borge
No matter how much you love your family, they are bound to annoy you during the holidays. And let’s be fair here: you’re probably going to annoy them, too. It’s a fact of life that “family togetherness” can grow tiresome when people who don’t live together end up temporarily cohabitating (or at least spending a lot of time together) during the holidays. “Special occasion” pressure adds to the stress by creating the expectation that this should be a happy time for everyone involved.
The secret to managing this stress is to spend quality time with your family. That means adjusting your outlook. Yes, they might still drive you crazy (which will remind you why you see them only once a year). But if you reflect on your shared history, what you value in those relationships, and how much you care for them (yes, even the cousin who keeps leaving her socks all over the house and the uncle who complains about everything), it will be much easier for you find meaning and joy in the time you spend with them during the holidays.
Watch Your Wallet
Christmas is the season when you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money.
—Unknown
‘Tis the season for gift giving . . . within reason. Few things can ratchet up the anxiety level more than when the bills from December overspending start rolling in a month later. As you shop for the family and friends you care about, don’t overextend yourself. When you’re a multimillionaire, then you can go over the top with the gifts. Until then, limit yourself to what you can afford comfortably.
Tread Carefully at the Office Holiday Party
What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.
—Phyllis Diller
As many companies return to the office in force, the annual office holiday party is swiftly making its return as well. Even companies that are struggling financially will try to make cuts almost anywhere else (“we can turn the heat down a few degrees, can’t we?”) before dropping this event from their budgets. I’m also seeing companies that are primarily remote allocate budgets to bring their employees together for an end-of-the-year celebration as it offers a rare opportunity for employees, bosses, and coworkers to socialize together. And if it’s not your company’s get-together, many vendors, clients and/or customers also have annual events where the booze is flowing. If we aren’t careful, though, it can also provide the stage for career-damaging faux pas.
Many of the negative interactions that take place at holiday parties are fueled by alcohol. As a social lubricant, booze has few peers: it can loosen tongues and help people let their guard down. I’m not saying no one should ever drink alcohol (I do enjoy a good cocktail myself!), but I do recommend that you exercise caution when mixing booze and work. Even when the event in question is an off-the-clock, offsite social gathering, if your colleagues will be there—and especially if anyone who’s in a supervisory or management role to you will be there—you should act as if you were still in the office in the middle of a weekday.
- If you plan to imbibe at the office party, be sure to eat some food ahead of time (or right after you get there). Remember, alcohol has a stronger effect on an empty stomach.
- Alternate glasses of alcohol with glasses of water so you can stay hydrated (and, hopefully, ward off a hangover) and avoid getting overly tipsy.
- If you don’t want to be pressured to drink when you’re not in the mood to do so, fake it: ask the bartender to serve you a club soda with a lime in a cocktail glass. (And don’t let your glass fall below half full, so you don’t have to deflect offers to “get you another drink.”)
- Take advantage of the networking element of the office party. Make the most of this opportunity to connect with people you don’t see much during work hours. Do this early, though, before any effects of alcohol kick in (either with you or with them), and be sure to leave the party before things get crazy.
And don’t forget, what happens at a party often lives forever on social media thanks to ready access to our phone’s camera! So, take a breath before jumping up on that table and shaking your groove thing!
Take Care of Yourself
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
—Anne Lamott
I’m a big believer in making time for yourself at any time of the year—and especially during the holidays, when stress, overcommitment, and general exhaustion can be overwhelming. That’s why I encourage everyone to block off a minimum of one hour a week for themselves.
If your first thought is “that’s impossible!” just remember that there are a whopping 168 hours in each week. Surely you can find at least one hour for yourself in there to get a mani/pedi, read a book, do some yoga, go birdwatching, work on the New York Times crossword puzzle—something that makes you happy. Far from “frivolous,” self-care is an essential part of a healthy life: it helps us destress, clear our heads, and reset our mental tripwires.
Be Prepared to Adapt
I can’t control the wind but I can adjust the sail.
—Ricky Skaggs
Right now, you’re standing on the threshold of the holiday season. The only way you can go is forward, into days that might be uncertain and stressful. That doesn’t mean you’re powerless, though: with the right preparation (and the right attitude) you can get through anything—even holiday travel. Just remember that all forms of transportation (planes, automobiles, buses, trains, highways, etc.) will be super crowded at this time of year and that your transit times will be longer than usual. (And that’s even before weather-related issues throw another wrench into the mix!) If you mentally prepare for those delays in advance and include them in your schedule, you can ward off much of the stress associated with travel delays.
Adjust Your Mindset
Nothing says holidays like a cheese log!
—Ellen Degeneres
Here’s the thing: no matter how well you plan, something will go wrong. (I’m pretty sure this is one of the variations of Murphy’s Law.) The one thing you can control, though, is your attitude. Promise yourself right now that when things don’t go your way (and others are trying to sink your good spirits) over the next several weeks, you’ll just go with the flow and not let negativity or problems get the best of you. If you find yourself wanting to mutter “Bah! Humbug”! focusing on the positive can help you silence your inner Scrooge—and maybe even help you find ways to eagerly anticipate and enjoy (rather than dread) the holiday season.
Now bring on the cheese logs!
Hi valgrubbandassociates.com administrator, Your posts are always well researched and well written.