The winter holidays are exciting! Planning family reunions, talking about parties, and discussing the presents you’ll buy your loved ones makes December so festive, but also busy. You don’t want your Christmas carols to sound like this:
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Tickets’re on the way!
Work goes off, target falls,
No one’s happy through the day.
Here’s how you can balance work and fun to make the most out of your vacation:
1. Plan and check.
Sticky notes are helpful. Make two lists (one for work and one vacation) so you’ll have everything included. It is better to plan work when at work and vacation when at home. Prioritize items based on time and how important they are. Tick off things you’ve completed.
2. Put your phone to sleep.
With the constant beeps and calls, mobile phones eat away a lot of your time without you even realizing it. Even a single notification from the vendor can get you dreaming for hours together. Turn your notifications off, or best put your mobile on silent.
3. Don’t over-commit. Know your threshold.
Learn to say no when necessary. It is nice to be helpful, but not when you have that year-end report to write and your boss has ten more things waiting for you. Avoid smaller distractions at work.
4. Power up idea generation. Brainstorm.
Make your meetings productive. Discuss your plans, exchange ideas, and debate concepts. Share your work online with your friends or colleagues and get constructive feedback and comments.
5. Add music to balance. (Music for the mind. Food for thought.)
Given the nature of this festive season, it can be difficult to hold your focus. However, research suggests that music lets you escape a noisy workplace. Set up a balanced aural environment to focus your mind.
6. Automate processes.
Stay on top of your responsibilities, even when you’re celebrating. Automate festive wishes to your customers, schedule social media posts, configure your vacation replies, and be updated with what’s happening at your work.
7. Break free. Minimize stress.
Do not stress yourself too much over anything. Stay calm, and take things one at a time. Do you really want to attend that house party your workmates are organizing? Is that football game still driving you crazy? Talk to people around you. Get it sorted.
8. Treat yourself.
Set milestones and reward yourself for every accomplishment you make. Take your laptop away from your desk and challenge yourself to finish the first draft of your proposal. Treat yourself to chocolates, cakes, and other things that your sweet tooth demands.
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