With most companies giving time off during the winter holidays, the month of December seems to get shorter every year, and yet, your work day can start to feel longer than normal. This can take it’s toll on you over time and make you feel exhausted by the day’s end. For many employees, it can be the most stressful month of them all; trying to meet deadlines, conducting year end reviews, and locking in next year’s budgets (and so much more) leaves some people with mixed or uneasy feelings toward the holiday season.
Is it possible to enjoy this time of year without letting work completely push you over the edge? We assure you it is possible to win your workday while conquering a stressful holiday season. We’ve compiled a list of our three best ways you can overcome holiday work stress below.
Utilize a Coworking Space
Whether you work from home or find yourself balancing a tricky hybrid work schedule, stress is sure to come up in one form or another. December can feel like a never-ending race to the finish if you’re getting overrun with work. The good news is that you may just need to switch up some parts of your daily routine to feel refreshed and ready to go. The Mill is a great option if you’re looking to make a change in your workflow. Grab some coworkers from your usual office space and book a conference room for the day, or hop off your couch and exchange it for a desk in The Mill
Spice it up! Changing up your work environment brings benefits to the table other than just some new views. It breaks up the repetition of your common workday while allowing you to create new habits. Not only this but, working in close quarters with coworkers allows you to bounce ideas off of each other and boost your productivity. Somewhere deep down, a lot of us miss the commute, however long, to the office. Especially if you’ve been working from home, a coworking space can give you a sense of separation that is critical to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Emphasize Getting Your Steps In
It’s safe to say that fostering good health reflects positively on your work output. During this time of year the temperature drop can make outdoor exercise seemingly impossible. Being able to fight through the urges to keep warm and still keep tabs on our health is so important, especially during a time where seasonal depression is in full force.
Even though it can be hard to find time with a busy work schedule, it’s still possible to get your extra steps in. Going for a walk is a great way to not only exercise, but also wake your body up throughout the work day. Going to the gym before/after work, walking to grab your morning latte from Faire Café (or an even closer option: fresh brewed Little Goat right in the pantry), or taking a quick stroll through the Tatnall courtyard between meetings will be immensely beneficial to both your physical and mental health. If you wear glasses, don’t let that pesky fogging keep you from stepping outside. Learning how to stop glasses from fogging will keep you from re-entering the office or your next meeting all fogged up and unable to see from the immediate change in temperatures.
Block Out Time for Tasks
While you may be doing this already for portions of your day, we suggest you try blocking the majority of your time through the month of December.
Blocking out time for your tasks ensures you have set time aside to accomplish your tasks, despite the bustle of the holiday season. This can even extend into tasks that aren’t work-related, so you can factor in the time to complete those as well. This tactic can put your mind at ease because you know you won’t be scrambling at the last minute.
Usually the best option is to do this at the very start of your work week or day. Regardless of when you start, you want to aim to give yourself the most time you think you’ll need for each task in advance. From, set time aside for meetings with clients to buying gifts for the family as soon as you add them to your to-do list, for example. When taking on the holiday work season, having a healthy work/life balance is crucial for beating the stress.
Our Final Thoughts
No matter where you work or what kind of business you do, December will test you in many different ways. From heightened workloads to busy schedules both in and out of the office, it can be very stressful trying to navigate this season and keep your head above water. First of all, if you find yourself in this boat, understand that you’re not alone. Secondly, take our list into consideration and think to yourself, “Where do I need improvements to be the most successful?” Lastly, you need to take action. Time isn’t always on your side. Those end-of-year projects and initiatives aren’t going to complete themselves, which is why The Mill is here to help you find space to focus, consult, take a walk, and take a deep breath.
If you find yourself needing to get out of the office or your home, and change up your work environment, try checking out The Mill Space.
