The week between Christmas and New Year’s is supposed to be a time to decompress and enjoy the company of family and friends. If you feel like you’ve still got one foot at work, then you need to arm yourself with ways to unplug from work during the holidays. Almost everyone puts additional pressure on themselves at the end of the year to wrap up projects before the calendar flips over. However, unless you’re a brain surgeon, mentally checking out for the holidays isn’t likely to result in a catastrophe. In fact, unplugging from work is good for your mental health.
If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed this holiday season, give yourself the gift of a mental break from work. If you’re not sure how to do that, take these simple steps to get started!
Set expectations with supervisors, colleagues, clients, and others!
Make sure you communicate that during this holiday vacation, you will not respond immediately. Utilize your out-of-office email reply to inform individuals you are not in the office and when you will return. Include the name of someone to contact in case of an emergency. Don’t feel guilty about this—we all need to not be needed sometimes!
Turn off your notifications!
It’s no secret that your phone can be a major source of unnecessary stress and anxiety. To focus on being present with your family, friends, yourself, and even your pets during the holidays, silence your notifications or even turn them off altogether.
Prioritize your personal!
We all know that the demands of work can often result in neglecting your personal life. Take back your time this holiday season by making your personal life your number one priority. Whether that involves reconnecting with family and friends or settling in for a week of self-care, you do you. Put it on the calendar if you have to, but don’t neglect to use this time for yourself!
Trust that everything will be fine!
Sometimes people get so caught up in work that they think everything is important—it’s not! If there is an emergency, your boss will likely let you know by text or phone call, but there is absolutely no reason for you to be chained to your email when you’re out of the office. All the work you need to do will be there for you to do when you get back to work. You may even find that people don’t need you as much as you (or they) think you/they do!
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The bottom line? The world is not going to end if you put yourself first during the holidays. It’s been a rough year, and you deserve a break. Take it!
Relaxing and refreshing during the holidays is a great way for you to recharge and refocus your energy for the new year ahead! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
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