This is a hectic time of year, when all too easily we can fall out of balance. Work demands, end of year deadlines, and social occasions all take their toll on us. On top of that, festive preparations and planning take up time and energy too.
If we’re not careful, we can end up burnt out, ill and exhausted by the middle of December. As well as being no fun, this means we’re unproductive. Now is the time to put a few strategies in place to avoid this.
Here are 30 tips to help you stay balanced and make time at this time of year.
1. Start saying no or “not until January” if you’re already at capacity for the rest of the year.
2. Rather than pushing to fit in one more digital task when you have a spare few minutes, aim to do one less task and leave space to breathe.
3. Take a moment to appreciate all that is special about this time of year, even though it’s hectic!
4. Switch on your out of office message for a day and do those things on your list you keep never getting round to but want done before the end of the year.
5. The next month is a time for endings. Finish things off. Close projects. Clear things up and get ready to move on.
6. Take the chance to relax.
7. Eat well. Catch up on sleep. Pace yourself. For more advice, see my related article: How To Be Productive And Have Fun In The Festive Season
8. Self-impose one or two deadlines to help you get things finished. Tell someone (for example a colleague or someone in your family) if that helps you stick to your deadline.
9. See how much you can tick off your list in one focused hour.
10. See how much you can tick off your list in one focused day.
11. Prioritise socialising. Remember, people won’t be in a party mood in January.
12. If you manage a team, keep the mood light. Organise a social event. Now is a great time to give people an extra couple of hours off, so they stay motivated and productive at a time of year with many work and non-work demands.
13. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, go through each task on your list one by one and ask: could it wait? Could it wait until tomorrow? Could it wait until next week? Could it wait until next year? Move some things over and take the pressure off today.
14. When things tip entirely out of balance, stop. Rest. Sleep. Eat. Then carry on again.
15. Hibernate for an evening or two and embrace the winter weather.
16. Plan well ahead for posting packages and letters to avoid long queues, and post everything at once.
17. Stay calm!
18. When you run out of energy and enthusiasm for work tasks, you’ve probably reached the limit of what you’ll usefully get done this year. Don’t force yourself to plod on unproductively on difficult or large projects. You’ll have more energy at the start of next year to tackle them, especially if you take a break now. Tie up any loose ends, and call it a year.
19. Take a break from social media for longer than usual. Enjoy experiences without sharing them online.
20. Amid the hectic whirl, spend a couple of hours, or half a day, doing something just for you. This can be something relaxing, something creative, something new, or something that interests you.
21. If something you wanted didn’t happen this year, now’s the time to let it go. It probably isn’t going to happen.
22. List five things that you achieved this year.
23. List five people who were important in your life this year.
24. Where do you want to be a year from now? Start imagining it.
25. Go with the natural feeling of winding down that comes at this time of year. Don’t keep making unnecessary work for yourself or adding in extra digital tasks. Instead, relax and switch off.
26. Consider doing a digital detox. It’s the perfect time of year for it. Here are more tips in my piece on How To Do A Digital Detox.
27. Switch off your smartphone for an evening and enjoy the peace.
28. Connect with people around you in person rather than socialising online.
29. Check in with your thoughts rather than checking in with your smartphone. What are you feeling at this time of year with all the joys and challenges it brings?
30. Wherever you get to by the time you’re due to finish for a holiday, stop. Leave it there. Don’t try to keep working when you’re meant to be having a break. Don’t half-relax while half keeping an eye on work messages. This is the time of year to recharge. And there’s always next year …
Frances Booth is author of The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World. To get your free first chapter of The Distraction Trap, and for more productivity tips, join her mailing list here
