Truth time: As we approach the holiday season, are you enthused and eagerly anticipating the gift shopping, the preparation and the family time, or is there an element of stress and, dare I say, guilt nestling in there, too?
If so, you’re not alone. According to research, “Festive Stress” is real, with 31% of Americans describing the holidays season as “frantic”.
The problem is, we’ve all been conditioned over the years to expect that the holidays will be “magical” and “wonderful” – but the truth is that many of us feel drained by the hustle and bustle and we really just work too hard in a bid to have the “perfect” holiday experience. In addition, there is the stress of enforced down-time from work, while we chit chat with family over the turkey, or dive into another slice of pumpkin pie, all the while mentally checking our office to-do list. It’s no wonder that, far from being the most wonderful time of the year, the holidays can feel like one big diversion of our attention from “the important stuff” – our work life- and guilt that we are “wasting” valuable time, all because for a couple of days, we step off “productivity path” and indulge ourselves with family-time.
But this guilt has a real knack for distracting us from what’s really important. For most of us, work is a HUGE part of our lives, and a work-life balance is something we talk about, but never quite achieve. Before we know it, that romantic vision, that excited anticipation of time away has become a guilt-fest, leaving us more stressed than if we were actually at work.
The truth, however, is that the holidays give us a perfect reason to push that reset and recharge button. Just because it’s time away from the office, doesn’t mean it can’t still be used productively. Here are three tips to getting the most out of the holiday season.
1. Stop, just stop! We all know that one person who pulls off an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, while juggling the unexpected guests, the over-excited children …and the impossibly perfect home. We marvel at how they can do it all and still fit in baking cookies with the little ones and remaining civil with the Mother-in-Law. Yes, our lives are busy and there never seem to be any limits to the demands on our time, but no one person can and will be 100% productive all the time.
It’s an illusion, people!
What’s important is that you recognize the importance of time away and don’t fall into the trap of wrapping your self-worth up with how busy you are, like a present under the tree. Stop comparing yourself to others who appear to have it all down pat. It’s not some sort of competition to see who can rack up the most hours. That’s just a one-way route to inadequacy highway. Think about it; the world can’t be filled with super-humans and you’ve been left out. Actively stop the comparison thing and shut off that inner (oh, so critical!) voice of comparison. Finally, concentrate on your inherent self-worth. You work hard. You are entitled to time away, free from guilt. Period.
2. Set an intention. What do you want to achieve with your away-time? By identifying what you want from your break beforehand, you are far more likely to be able to meet those needs and in so doing, enjoy quality time. Maybe focus your away-time on all those “Important, but not urgent tasks” you have been meaning to do but…
Need some help with setting these intentions and boundaries? Check out our next blog on this important topic.