It seems difficult to believe, especially if you’re living somewhere that is still experiencing balmy temperatures, but we’re heading into the holiday season. From now through the end of the year, it’ll be a flurry of parties, family gatherings, and shopping, shopping, shopping. With all of the added stress, it’s no wonder that it’s hard to stay focused and productive at work. Here are a few tips for ensuring that your productivity doesn’t take a hit, even during the year’s busiest months.
Take a Few Days Off
If you’re like most people, you have a few extra vacation days that you haven’t taken. So, why not take them now? Taking your vacation days during the holiday season rather than letting them roll over to next year can help to balance out the additional holiday-related tasks and stress that you’re under. Use your vacation time to get your gift shopping in before the deadlines, recover from a party, or just enjoy some extra time with your loved ones. You’ll give yourself time and space to recharge and stay on top of your to-do list, freeing up the brain space that you need to focus on your job when you’re at work.
Get It All Out in Front of You
Between your kids’ school specials, visits from relatives, holiday parties, and everything else that comes with the season on top of work projects, it can be difficult to keep track of what is happening and when its happening. Do yourself a favor by getting organized and prioritizing tasks. Whether you use a digital planner or a paper planner, get everything out in front of you, and then make plans accordingly.
Take It One Thing at a Time
If you have numerous projects going on at once, talk with your supervisor to see if you can get some assistance, or simply decide whether those less urgent projects could be put off for a little while. Avoid working on personal and work-related tasks at the same time. Solidifying plans with visiting relatives via text while half-listening in on a conference call could have some embarrassing consequences.
Don’t Take Your Work Home
In this digital age when everyone is within reach around the clock, the idea of not taking work home from the office may seem an impossible feat. While at work, set clear goals of what has to be accomplished on that day. This will motivate you to complete tasks efficiently and leave work at work.
Focus on Getting Enough
When times are stressful, we tend to test how little we can get by on—how little sleep we can function with, how little exercise we can make time for while still having energy for our days, how little downtime we can handle before burning out. This holiday season, instead of testing your physical limits, focus on getting enough; get enough sleep, enough nutrition, enough exercise, and enough rest. When you make time for making sure that you are at your best, the rest of your schedule will fall into place.
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The holiday season doesn’t have to be stressful. By planning ahead, delegating tasks when possible, and getting your priorities in line, you can enjoy a smooth and hassle-free season.
