Tips for Switching Off Over Christmas
This year has been hard. Businesses have had to pivot, employees have had to juggle homeschooling and working from home. The pandemic has given way to additional pressures and challenges in how we balance work with real life.
Now, more than ever it has become easy to fall into the trap of working past the normal 9-5pm hours (I say that as I am sitting here typing away at 8.30pm at night!)
The lines between home and work life are blurred, and have been blurred by necessity!
Christmas, however, is a time to relax and to refresh ready for the New Year ahead. Most of us face the challenge of being apart from family due to the current situation and we have all spent far too much time with our immediate family this year!
So, how do we look after ourselves this Christmas? Here are few tips on helping encourage ourselves and our workforce to ‘switch off’ this Christmas and enjoy the festive period.
Manage Workload & Schedule Rest Days
The first step of prevention is to prioritise projects and work schedules in order to address what tasks need to be completed before the Christmas break and which projects can be tasked for the New Year.
You may get to the last day of work and then the organised fun begins, but make sure you give yourself an empty day or two some down time whatever that looks like for you.
Promote Wellness & Lead By Example
In order for your employees to feel assured over the Christmas period, managers should lead by example and encourage team members to enjoy their festive break.
Why not send out a communication with a positive message emphasising your stance on employee wellbeing and encouraging employees to enjoy their time off.
Technology
While smartphones, tablets and laptops have been our saviour this year and our connection to the outside world – once you have finished for Christmas break unless you have to stay logged in, I would suggest turning off your work email.
Hide any apps that you may have access to on your devices temporarily until you are back to work again in the new year. Use the break to think about a digital detox.
Feel Good Movies
For those who know me, I am partial to a good box set. It helps me switch off. However, at Christmas... oh at Christmas, I love the classics.
The Griswolds Christmas Vacation, Die Hard 2, Gremlins, and my favourite – ELF, is bliss.
Christmas Food
Hands up – who has become an amazing chef during lockdown? No? Well, why not try some festive recipes to delight yourself and your family, flatmates or pets...
Your local supermarket can provide all your favourite treats – whether they are pigs in blankets, frozen savoury platters, chocolate logs or mince pies. But nothing tastes as good as home-made.
I love Christmas food! Everything in moderation though. Why not use some time this holiday to look at some healthy eating plans for the new year?
Nature
Now, I am praying for snow this year.
I feel that it would be somehow restoring my faith to see those little snowflakes falling, to catch them on my tongue, but in the event that we don’t get snow and we can’t build snowmen, go sledging or make snow angels. It is important that we use what we have available to us.
Walking, running or just taking in some fresh air outside in your local park or in your back garden is going to help improve our health, clear our mind and help us switch off!
We all know that 2021 is going to bring new hope and with the vaccine beginning to be rolled out, we are hoping that restrictions will be lifted – travel will be slowly be permitted then we can start to plan ahead and book a sunny holiday. It is so important that we recharge our batteries, we have so much to achieve next year!
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MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!