3 Ways You're Letting Work Ruin Your Holidays (and How
to Stop).
It’s that time of year again. The
end is within reach, and no one can believe “where this year went.” I mean,
really—how many times have you said that since Halloween?
No matter what you celebrate this
time of year, the race to the holidays is in full swing. Through Thanksgiving,
Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, and on to shopping, baking,
cooking, and wrapping, there seems to be no time to take a break.
So, knowing all that, it’s pretty
easy to let your job completely ruin your holidays. Here are three ways we
seriously sabotage ourselves this time of year (and what to do instead).
1. You Don’t Plan Any Time Off in December.
Yes, that’s right. Just assume
that all of your other social activities, family festivities, kids’ concerts,
and neighborhood potlucks will all fit neatly into your already jam-packed
schedule.
On the other hand, you know what
would be better? Assuming you typically work a five-day week and have some
vacation time built up, you may be able to take one day a week off each
week in December. Maybe it’s Friday; maybe it’s Tuesday—whatever you (and your
boss) can work out.
I’ve done this, and I was amazed
at the difference it made. Just knowing I had an extra day each week to breathe
made the pressure of the season much more bearable—and quite enjoyable.
2. Even When You Take Time Off, You Stay
Totally Tuned Into Work.
The holidays are the one time of
the year when everyone’s expectations about response times lower. But instead
of taking advantage of that, if you really want to be the martyr and ruin your
season at the same time, keep checking that email
every chance you get—even on your days off.
A better way? Stepping away from the
smartphone will actually help you enjoy your holidays more. When
high-end consultants were asked to carve out dedicated times without email,
they immediately reported significantly lower stress, more positive feelings
about going to work, and a joy jump in their job perception.
If they can do it, you can—and
should—too. Really, it’s not as hard as you might think!
3. You Let Your Stress Flag Fly.
Most of us are stressed about work
at some level, year-round. But during the holidays, it amps up. Between
preparing for holiday celebrations and wrapping up the year, we feel extreme
time constraints.
And when we feel that extra
pressure, we often end up talking about how stressed we are—constantly
complaining about it and sharing it with those around us. And not in a good
way.
When you do that, you create even
more stress for yourself. As the adage says, “What you focus on grows.”
It goes like this: You’re winded
from running from one event to another, not having a minute to yourself, and
then having to make one more trip to the mall. Oh, and then there’s the credit
card slips piling up and the report your boss needs by Friday.
Instead, what if you didn’t
complain? What if you anticipated going through each obligation on time and stress-free? What if
you saw yourself enjoying the activities and reporting to your co-workers the
next day about what a lovely time it was?
When you’re tempted to go to the
dark side, reframe and think about what it is you really want out of the
season—then see it happening.
Yes, the holidays can be one big bag of stress, there’s no doubt about it. If there was ever a time to balance your work and your life more effectively, this is it.
So, give it a go and see what
happens. And, happy holidays!
Source Article : https://www.themuse.com/
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