It is supposed to be a fun season, but the mental tie to work can stop you from enjoying yourself….how to take a work break.
The holiday season can be filled with seeing friends, visiting family, celebrations, shopping or a good movie bing with Christmas Vacation. But the tug of the job can interrupt the joy and relaxation of the holiday. For some, the extra pressure of facing looming year-end deadlines during a shortened work month, combined with additional personal, financial, and family obligations, can cause holiday stress during this time of year.
It doesn’t help the days between December 25-31 are filled with family and social obligations, blurring together and becoming one giant mass of time which is extremely hard to get work done.
Studies prove taking a break from work provides a significant amount of health benefits, especially if you’re filling your time with satisfying and memorable activities. Here are hte best ways to detach from work over the holidays.
Spend time with your loved ones
Connecting to a “larger purpose” can help you get out of your head and be more present in whatever you’re doing over the holidays. “The stressors of your work life are temporary and nobody ever looks back on their life remembering the nights they chose to finish a project over making memories with loved ones,” say representatives of Noken, a company that prepares trips for people who have a tough time leaving their work at home.
Turn off your notifications
RELATED: 5 Tips To Help You Get Work Done When You’re Working Remotely
It’s hard to get some distance from work when you’re constantly checking your phone and your email. In order to make the most out of your days off, try silencing your notifications or turning them off all together. If you still need to work, set up a schedule allowing you to work efficiently and will also let you have your own free time. On most icases, emails can wait.
Prioritize personal stuff
During the holiday season, make your personal life your priority. This doesn’t mean you have to disregard work entirely, it just means if you’re organized you can schedule your work activities ahead of time and spend quality time with your loved ones.
Plan ahead
If you know you have a big project coming up then make sure to clock in some work hours where you’re focused and don’t have a lot of distractions. This will allow you to finish your work as soon as possible and freeing up the rest of your day, allowing you to do what you want with your time.
RELATED: 5 Common Relationship Problems That Arise During The Holidays
Everything will be fine
There’s no reason for you to be chained to your laptop or your phone over the holidays, especially if you’ve been conducting your duties normally and efficiently. If there’s an emergency, your boss will surely call you and let you know. Your work will still be there the next day, so try to have some perspective and avoid missing out on important moments with your family and friends.
