Work-Life Balance During The Holidays
Are you ready for the Holidays? Yeah, neither are we! Are we excited for all the celebrations? Of course we are! The two can, and normally do, coexist in the madness we call the Holiday season. It seems every year that passes, the more surprised we find ourselves come late November. How can the holidays be here already? For those of you that find yourself feeling like the year has absolutely FLOWN by, it’s okay! We are all here with you. Here is how we attempt to manage the madness at work and at home, using what we’ll refer to as the four pillars.
MAKE TIME FOR YOU
If you do not make time to prioritize yourself, likely no one else will. Your family, friends, team mates, managers, and anyone else you may be interacting with these holiday weeks will most likely be asking for something of you. Guess what? That is okay! They haven’t seen you in a while. There is a deadline approaching. The kids want to show you something, or just be kids… New year projections are being discussed. The point is there are more and more distractions as the holidays steadily approach. This is what makes it that much more necessary to carve time out for YOU. It doesn’t have to be an extended period of time. It doesn’t have to be scheduled in advance or added to your calendar. It simply needs to be “you” time. Try and set aside time for yourself to focus on simply inhaling and exhaling, deeply, a few times. Tell us you don’t feel a little better already! Whether you use this example or find your own, the end result should leave you a little more relaxed than you started. In my opinion, not only will you find yourself in a better, more relaxed state, you may also find yourself perceiving future situations in a more positive light just because of your mood.
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
Many of us are a messy, frazzled version of ourselves when it seems little planning has been done. Setting and managing expectations can help us counteract this. Because lastsecond curveballs tend to throw us for a loop that leaves us seeking emotional balance. Cue “You” time! For work, executing this pillar means communicating with your team and ensuring everyone is on the same page on projects, deadlines, next steps, etc. For our personal lives, it means communicating with our families and ensuring we are on the same page about our upcoming family events and celebrations. The main point here is that by allowing everyone to share in expectations, you minimize potential situations that could slightly derail your happiness. And, the optimal result of all of this would be a worry-free transition from worktime to family-time and back again to work-time when the new year rolls around.
PRIORITIZE TASKS
This pillar is somewhat leaning on the foundation of the last. Without it, we wouldn’t know what tasks to prioritize. But, because planning was done, we can construct this pillar without a problem. When we begin to feel bogged down with work or personal life, we try to take a step back and ask if we are focusing on the right items. To avoid “attention stealer” tasks, try to take a step back, evaluate the current situation, and focus where you invest your mental and emotional efforts. If these align with what is actually most important, you will feel your energy level rise in and out of your office.
ENGAGE
The last pillar is simple, but it may also be the most difficult to consistently execute. The simple part? The idea. When you are logged in, be focused on work. When you are home with family, be home with family. So what could be so tricky? We often find ourselves thinking about a different part of our life rather than the present. Be in the moment. Actively listen to others, rather than gaze off or wonder what you will say next. You will receive more from an interaction like this and so will those involved. So that’s it! YOU, Manage Expectations, Prioritize, Engage. Try these four pillars this holiday season, and maybe have your best one yet? Either way, we hope you all thoroughly enjoy the holidays with your loved ones! We are excited for what the new year will bring. Let us all continue to Grow Together and thrive in the New Year!
