The warm glow of the Christmas tree, the overfilled stockings hanging perilously on the wall, the mounds of presents taking up too much space in your house, and the long list of things left to do are all well-founded reasons why you might lose focus in the office during the holiday season.
It’s hard to want to put your proverbial nose to the grind when there are sparkly decorations all around you, cute little elves everywhere, and new packages on the porch every day. Losing yourself in the spirit of the holiday season is way more fun than working 10-hour days to pay for all the sparkly things and fated smiles.
So how do you conquer your holiday FOMO and stay present and productive in your workspace? Let’s explore a few options and equip you with some helpful suggestions as you press onward into the new year.
Take some strategic days off
Ideally, you have the ability to take a few of your accrued vacation days off from work during the holiday season. Planning a strategic day off of work is a great way to provide time for gift shopping, house decorating, or simply spending quality time with the family.
With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year crammed so close together, it’s important to find time to breathe and gather yourself among the chaos. Be nice to yourself, and save a few of those paid off days for “such a time as this.”
Lean heavily on lists
Staying focused on all of the tasks at hand and your work during the holiday season can get confusing without a proper method of keeping track. Lean heavily on lists to maintain your focus during the holiday season.
“A study at Dominican University of California found once you put pen to paper on a goal — you are 33 percent more likely to actually achieve it.”
Paula Rizzo – Forbes
Writing out all of the things you need to get done takes the fallacy of your mind out of the equation. You can’t forget something if you write it down (as long as you don’t lose the list, that is). You will also find that gaining a new checkmark on your list is quite rewarding.
Start your home prep early
You can give yourself a head start on all the holiday hubbubs by starting your preparations early. The holidays don’t really “creep” up on you, you’re just too “in the weeds” to take control of the situation.
Start doing all the things you have to do for Thanksgiving and Christmas early. Put the tree up whenever you have a free moment. It doesn’t have to be the day after Thanksgiving.
Start wrapping all of the presents as soon as the tree is up, so you don’t have a monumental task ahead of you on Christmas Eve.
Take proper care of your body
It’s hard to keep thinking about your physical wellness when there’s a constant flow of goodies around. The holiday season is notorious for helping you pack on the extra pounds, so you have to be vigilant. Not only will an overindulgence of food and drink leave you heavier than you were, but you’ll likely feel fairly run down and tired too.
Instead, make sure you keep your healthy eating habits intact and push hard to protect your sleep. Always set aside at least 8 hours a night for sleep, and give yourself at least an hour to unplug and unwind before it’s time for bed.
“Wrapping” it all up
Overall, if you want to find any sort of relaxation and peace during the insane atmosphere of the holiday season, you have to be on point and prepared. Remaining focused will make all the difference in your experience, and your family will likely enjoy the shift as well. Now, go forth, and celebrate… responsibly, of course!
One Comment
I love this blog! It’s so right on time too. Making lists and working on your own personal timeline as my favorite tips. They’re the ones that help me to stay sane.