The holidays can be a chaotic, hectic time of year for anyone, but for business owners and professionals, it can be overwhelmingly stressful. Attempting to get holiday shopping, cooking, and cleaning done while still meeting your end-of-the-year goals can take a toll on your mood and mental health, so it’s important to know healthy ways to cope and tricks for getting through the busiest days unscathed.
One of the most important things you can do is to ask for help. No one can do everything alone, but with a helping hand (or two), you can make sure your to-do list gets taken care of with minimal stress. Delegate responsibilities to the most capable people you know and save your time for the most important, pressing issues at work.
Here are a few more of the best tips on how to have a stress-free holiday while still getting things done.
Don’t take work home with you
It may sound counterproductive, since you’re trying to get things done, but one of the worst things you can do when you’re trying to prevent stress is bring work home with you. It may be necessary to work longer hours during the holiday season, but make a plan for just how long you want to stay at the office and stick to it. Once you’re home, put the laptop and phone aside and focus on yourself and your family. Having a place where you can breathe and refrain from worrying about work stresses is absolutely necessary, especially during the holidays.
Maximize your time
If you have a long commute to work and take a bus, train, or carpool, use that time to wrap up little things, like answering emails or reading reports. It will make the time go by faster and will give you more time at the office or store to take care of the big things.
Take care of yourself
You can’t expect to be at your best when you’re tired or aren’t eating well, so make sure you get in daily exercise–at least thirty minutes–and eat well-balanced meals. Set a bedtime for yourself and try to stick to it, no matter how much you have going on; you’ll thank yourself later. If you’re finding it difficult to work in exercise time, try running up and down the stairs in your office building on your lunch break, or just go for a quick walk. Any activity that gets your heart rate up is better than nothing.
Set realistic goals
It will helpful for you to sit down with a planner and get organized. This will ensure that you aren’t setting goals for yourself that are too lofty to achieve in the time you have, and it will also help you see where you’re spending too much time in one area. Plan for everything; write down lunch dates, work in time for shopping and cooking, and consider making a copy of the calendar to hang on the fridge you you and your family can easily see everything you have going on.