We’ve identified tips for managing holiday stress at home and in the workplace. Holidays are usually the happiest time of the year because we have additional quality time with family and friends and often share in meals and other uplifting social functions. But at the same time, the added scheduling pressures, sometimes indulgent eating, and other departures from our normal routines adds stress that can be difficult to balance, not to mention the added stress around COVID!

Here are 5 simple lifestyle tips to help get you manage holiday stress:

1. Don’t over-commit 

As much as it seems like you want to attend every holiday social, party, and dinner, sometimes it is absolutely overwhelming to do it all and still manage your daily life. Select those things that matter most and politely decline the things that don’t, and you will thank yourself later. No one expects you to do it all, so don’t expect it of yourself.

2. Plan self-care activities

If the joy and chaos of the holidays really does overwhelm you, then schedule some planned downtime. Set time aside to treat yourself to a facial, beauty treatment, get a massage, or engage in a quiet activity that lets you reset and gather your energy.

3. Maintain as much routine as possible

Holidays are terrible for routines. While a few can just go with the flow, most of us rely on regular structure to keep our lives manageable. If you stick to the basics of your routine (when you get up, when you eat, when you exercise, etc.), then you will have more emotional and physical energy to manage the holiday chaos. Sticking to #1 (don’t over-commit) is helpful in this regard.

4. Don’t neglect sleep

When it comes to schedules and routines, the most important routine might be sleep. If you neglect sleep, then everything else will be more stressful and harder to manage.

So stick with your regular sleep schedule as much as possible. It might get disrupted by a party or two, or holiday travel, but if you can keep a regular bedtime and a regular waking time on as many days as possible, your body will better tolerate the stress that comes your way. If you have trouble sleeping due to stress, there are natural products you can take to promote better sleep.

5. Stay active

Exercise is recognized by experts such as those at Mayo Clinic as an important stress-management tool that can keep your body and mind more stress-tolerant all the time.

Too often at the holidays we let regular exercise go by the wayside (eh-hem routine…) along with the rest of our self-care. Keeping exercise on your calendar is challenging but still very important.

Helping Employees Manage Holiday Stress

There are a few simple actions managers can do to help boost morale and help employees manage holiday stress including:

• Incorporate wellness breaks to give employees a chance to refocus‍
• Help employees prioritize projects to manage pending deadlines and/or incorporate a consulting partner to help manage back-end office activities‍
• Encourage employees to stay home when sick
• Educate employees about wellness related activities including sharing this blog

For more information on this topic, or to learn how FocusPlanit can help your organization be more effective and efficient, contact our team. FocusPlanit serves the entire United States and is the industry’s premier team of highly qualified ConnectWise, QuickBooks, Wise-Sync, GoZynta, CharTec, ConnectBooster experts who have dedicated years of their professional life implementing and optimizing these solutions. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation.