The holiday season. A time of joy, celebration, and…stress. As a leader, I am sure you understand all too well the struggle of managing stress during the holidays. It’s a time when our personal and professional lives collide, and the pressure to juggle it all can often feel overwhelming. Maybe one of these ideas will help decrease stress levels without adding to your already full plate.
Set Realistic Expectations
The level of work for both you and others can increase during this time. Whether the pressure of closing the year and meeting certain goals or personal pressures from family commitments. The holiday season is not the time to take on more than you can handle. Understand you and your team may not be able to accomplish as much during this time, and that’s okay. Be mindful of your limitations and communicate them to your team. This will help alleviate some of the pressure and prevent burnout.
Delegate or Purposefully Procrastinate
As business leaders, we often feel like we need to have our hands in every aspect of the business and everything is top priority. The truth is, you have a team for a reason. Trust in their abilities and delegate tasks to them. If you don’t have a team then look at what you have to do and decide what can I purposely put off until after this season? This will not only help alleviate your workload, but it will also empower your team members and make them feel valued.
Self-Care
We can get to the other side of this season and feel exhausted. Part of this is from not taking care of yourself during this time. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but it’s important to carve out time for self-care. Whether it’s taking a long bath, going for a walk, or simply taking a few minutes to breathe and recenter yourself, make self-care a priority. When you take care of yourself, you’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges that come with this busy time of year.
NO is Your Friend
Depending on your personality, this may be difficult, but don’t be afraid to say no. As business leaders, we often feel obligated to attend every holiday event and say yes to every request that comes our way. But the truth is, it’s okay to say no. Your time and energy are valuable, so be selective and strategic with how you choose to spend them.
Create a Supportive Culture
Regardless of the time of year this is important. During the holidays which can be extra stressful professionally and personally, fostering a positive and supportive work culture is important. Encourage your team to take time off and spend it with their loved ones. Offer flexible work hours or remote working options to allow them to handle personal holiday commitments. This will not only reduce their stress levels, but it will also create a sense of goodwill and loyalty within your team.
As you look at each of these areas, which one will help you navigate this season the best to reduce you and your team’s stress levels? Focus on that area to lead your team even better as you work through the holidays and enter the new year. Lead Well.
© 2023 Wheeler Coaching Systems, All Rights Reserved
