We all hope for a magical Christmas. And it is supposed to be the most wonderful time, but for many of us, it can be the most overwhelming. Let’s think about the run up to Christmas. It’s managing competing diary entries – racing from school Christingle services to work functions. It’s talking to relatives several times a day to arrange gifts, travel schedules, activities. It’s dropping balls and not showing up at the right place at the right time. It’s working to deadlines, to year end close, to making sure that invoice is submitted. It’s goal setting for 2018. It’s trying desperately to make everything magical for little eyes. When Christmas finally arrives it’s hardly surprising we are all wound up like springs, waiting to explode like human crackers. But let’s remember that we are human. And instead of popping, let’s look for ways to manage our stress in a positive way.
Look after your body – even when you feel as if you have no time for it, get some exercise. A blast of endorphins will make you feel better and you’ll be more productive. And you’ll enjoy that mince pie all the more.
Prioritise – seriously, can you do it all? Do what will be manageable AND enjoyable. Perhaps saying you can do the office party and parents night out on the same evening isn’t the best plan?
Be realistic – many of us have unrealistic expectations of what the season should look like. This can deter many from enjoying end-of-year festivities. Be realistic of what the end state will look like.
Take control – make yourself lists setting out what you’ll have finalised pre-Christmas and write yourself a list for post-Christmas activities that will allow you to hit the ground running in the New Year. Take control over your workload and say no to the non-business critical activities. Everyone’s rushing to year end, but you can choose not to be swept up in others’ anxiety.
Sign off – just as we must sign off when we go on our summer holidays, so too we must sign off at Christmas. Put your out of office on, put your phone away and be ‘present’ so that you can enjoy this ‘most wonderful time of the year’.
The best of us know when we wake up on Christmas morning the energy and effort will have been worth it. But let’s try to remember to enjoy the journey to get there. Happy Christmas.
