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December 5, 2022

‘Tis the Season to Say No: 3 Tips for a Less Stressful Holiday

Working during the holidays can be exhilarating, but more often than not, it’s also stressful, tiring and overwhelming. If you find yourself constantly overbooked or doing more than you should to make sure the holidays are perfect, it’s time to get some perspective and say no to some things so you can enjoy the holidays and your family more fully. Here are three tips on how to balance work and the holidays so you can create a less stressful holiday season and still achieve all your holiday goals.

1) Prioritize

Create two lists: one list of things you have to get done such as work tasks and a list of things you want to do such as creating crafts with your kiddos. Prioritize these based on your schedule. Now, we aren’t saying you have to give up one to do the other, but it does help to write it all down on a calendar so you can figure out what to do. For example, if you need to make cookies or wrap gifts this week then plan accordingly. If time permits and you are looking forward to making those items, that’s awesome! Give yourself permission to go back and forth between the different lists; if there is time left over at the end of the day then feel free to jump into wants from have-to without guilt. This method helps cut down on holiday stress which means more quality time with family during December!

2) Set Boundaries

We are all guilty of overbooking ourselves and over committing to work projects and holiday parties. If you find yourself in this position, it’s okay to say no to some things so you can focus on being with family and friends during the holidays. Be proactive and communicate your boundaries to others. There is nothing wrong with turning down projects or events when they conflict with important time off during the holidays.

What if I have already agreed to do something? As difficult as it might be, if there are conflicts between obligations that have already been agreed upon, then talk them out openly. If a project is too much work without having time for family or if a party will be too much without also having time for self-care, then there is not enough room in your schedule and you need to let go or renegotiate expectations. You’re not obligated; you’re choosing what matters most to you.

3) Simplify

Work and family should be able to co-exist, but this is easier said than done. The holidays are a time of celebration and togetherness, but it can be difficult to balance work obligations with spending quality time with your loved ones. Sometimes it helps to just simplify your schedule and what you want to do. Do you want to spend the time solely with family? Take off work. Do you want to get a couple of extra work projects done before the end of the year? Block off time where you will only be doing that and nothing else. Just remember, keep things simple and whatever you do not need to do, don’t do it! Save it until next year! And remember, don’t stress yourself out because you do not want to fall ill. Take time for yourself to rest and relax too. 

How do you stay stress free with work and family during the holiday season? Let us know!

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November 21, 2022

Thanksgiving: Why Being Grateful is Good for You, Your Family and Your Career

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? It’s a time to get together with family, eat plenty of good food, and reflect on what we’re thankful for in our lives. But why exactly are we encouraged to have this attitude of gratitude? Most people would answer that it’s just something nice to do — to feel grateful and express it somehow — but few people can explain why gratitude can actually benefit your career, mental state, and overall happiness. That’s where this blog post comes in; it will explain the importance of gratitude and how showing gratitude can make you feel better both professionally and personally.

How Gratitude Affects Health

Do you ever feel stressed or down on life? A lot of us do, especially during the holidays. But there are ways to combat these feelings with gratitude. It’s been shown that gratitude can boost your mood, make you healthier, and improve your relationships with others. In fact, studies have found that people who practice daily gratitude exercises are more likely to report being happier than those who don’t. There are many ways to get into this habit – here are a few suggestions: first, start by writing down three things you’re thankful for at the end of each day. Then go one step further and write a thank-you note to someone in your life (family member, coworker). And finally, try having conversations about what people are thankful for rather than what they’re not.

How Gratitude Affects Positive Thinking

When you’re feeling thankful, it’s easier to see the good in your life. This means that when things go wrong, you’ll have a better perspective on how to handle the situation. Plus, when you take note of all the things you’re grateful for, you’ll stop focusing on what’s missing from your life or what isn’t going well. This will then lead to a more positive mindset overall. It can also help you decrease your stress and anxiety, or at least help you feel better equipped to manage those anxious emotions moving forward through the curve balls life throws.

How Gratitude Affects Relationships

A study done by Dr. Suzanne Segerstrom at the University of Kentucky found that people who were more grateful in their relationships tended to be less depressed, less anxious, and had lower levels of stress. This is because when we focus on what we have instead of what we don’t have, our moods tend to improve. When you are more grateful in your relationships, you are more likely to show gratitude in other aspects of your life as well — like being thankful for your job, your family or for the food on your table. This leads to a better mood overall which can help you with some aspects of productivity.

How Gratitude At Work Can Lead To Greater Success

Research has shown that gratitude can have a positive effect on how we perform in the workplace: people who are grateful are more likely to be more productive, focus better, and even sleep better. Grateful employees also tend to be happier than those who aren’t. Being thankful at work can lead to greater success because it helps us feel happy, which makes us more productive in our day-to-day tasks. Gratitude can also help lower stress levels, which not only makes you happier but it also lowers your blood pressure. All of these things mean that you’ll be able to work for longer periods of time without feeling tired or stressed out about anything.

The Importance Of Gratitude

Gratitude is overall good for your health, no matter which area of your life you apply it to: work, home, and fun! It’s the season of thankfulness, so we wanted to share with you how that can help your life, and we wanted to let you know just how thankful we are for Y-O-U! We appreciate all the support our HireMyMom community offers, and we are so grateful to have you as part of our family.

What are some ways you remind yourself to be thankful? Share them with us!

 

 

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October 17, 2022

Preparing Your Team for a Successful Holiday Season

The holiday season can be stressful and tiring, but it doesn’t have to take a huge toll on your employees. Get your team in the right mindset before the holidays begin by following these tips to prepare your team so they can enjoy the holidays and come back without feeling overwhelmed. You’ll all start refreshed and ready to hit the ground running!

Set Clear Expectations

As the holidays approach, it is very easy to get into “holiday mode” and out of “work mode.” After all, everyone wants to enjoy the time off with their families! Going into the holiday season, set clear expectations for your team. Tell them which projects should be finished before the holidays and which they can push until after. Give parameters for time off such as when they can leave for the holidays and what sort of schedule there might be — think of the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve as an example. Should employees be ready to work that week? Or will your company take that time off? It’s good to figure all this out ahead of time so you aren’t left scrambling at the last minute.

Schedule a Check-In with Employees

Schedule time to check in with your employees periodically so they don’t have to keep their holiday worries bottled up and can ask questions or seek guidance. Plus, scheduling time will help you make sure they’re not feeling overwhelmed. Encourage them to find someone they trust to share their feelings with, whether it’s family, friends, other coworkers, or someone else. They might also want to make changes to their schedule such as rearranging work tasks so they can avoid the busiest days at the office before and after the holidays. If an employee does become overloaded with work during this busy season because of pressure from management (e.g., responding to more than ten emails per day), then scheduling a check-in is the perfect way to discuss expectations to ensure your employees are happy and healthy!

Set an End Date Early

Start by thinking about the roles in your organization and prioritizing which members will be able to take time off. Some people may not be able to come back until after the holidays, but it is important to think about how long people can be away from their jobs because each job may require different amounts of prep before someone can come back. For example, if you work as an art director in a design firm and no one else on your team is working on anything holiday-related, then you may want to come back early (because the holiday season only lasts so long) whereas someone who works in HR may want to extend their time off through January. However, don’t forget that you will need some level of staffing during this busy season! If you plan on closing for holidays completely, make sure you have a plan in place to let customers know your holiday hours.

Define Parameters Around Discretionary Tasks

To ensure that you take care of all your business duties, tasks related to personnel and operations are given higher priority in the weeks leading up to the holidays. This doesn’t mean, however, that these work tasks can’t be handled after the holidays as well. Preparing your team and planning ahead will allow them to go home on time this year and re-enter work with refreshed minds the next week. Make sure they know what they should do when they come back from the holiday break. Take care of projects that need attention before then if possible so there is no chance of things falling through the cracks. 

Take some time off for yourself during this period too; being burnt out can lead to feeling overwhelmed and not wanting to go back at all!

How do you prepare your team for the holidays? Let us know!

 

 

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