The festive season can be really draining if you are a career person. In fact, for some people, the festive season starts early, as soon as December begins.
From family reunions to end of year parties and Christmas activities, there is a lot to do and little time. If you don’t schedule your time very well, chances of missing some work commitments are high.
It is even more so for single people, who will mostly be spoilt for choices, having too many activities to attend and not willing to miss any, since the party mood has already kicked in anyway.
However, you don’t want to be losing your job or to realise in January that you have a lot of work targets you haven’t met and then begin to panic. It is therefore important not to overdo it at the cost of work.
According to www.topresume.com, a career advice website, there are high chances of postponing work just to just have fun, which can end up being costly. Below are five tips to balance work and life during the festive season.
Prioritise your work first and personal activities later
Avoid falling for the fun temptations that come with the holiday season. It is ok that we all want to enjoy the parties, choir recitals, and gift exchanges, but we still have our regular work responsibilities.
Considering that time is limited, it is advised that you come up with a schedule for the holiday, even if you don’t normally draw one. Coming up with a schedule for the season that prioritises work is very important.
The schedule keeps reminding you that there is more to life than just having fun and getting lost in festivities. Don’t let anyone woo you into abandoning your schedule. To achieve that, you must prioritise work first and personal activities later. Those can always wait.
Plan your time well, avoid procrastination
Since we all agree that time is limited during the festive season, it is advisable to use the available time well by cutting out procrastination and effectively using your time.
When your plate is overflowing, it’s important that you figure out how to navigate your schedule and use your time as efficiently as possible. While you don’t have to keep track of each and every little task, it’s important that you record the way you use your time and group it according to your work, projects, errands, etc.
The point is to determine your weekly requirements and find the extra time you can spend on holiday events like parties and shopping.
Stick to your goals
Once you’ve determined what your priorities are and how much time you have available each week, start scheduling your holiday hours. This is key to balancing work and life during the holidays.
Using a day planner, smartphone, wall calendar, or whatever appointment reminder tools you prefer, insert your working hours and off hours like when you eat meals and go to bed. If you have important work projects due, include those next. These make up your "must do” list; highlight them so you know they won’t change.
Draw a line between work and personal time
Having a healthy balance between work and life requires separating the two. Start by setting limits on the time spent on work. You have the mandated hours set by your employer, sure, but working overtime or taking work home is not healthy during the holidays. So, make sure you use your time at work efficiently so you can complete everything you need to do.
Avoid Lies
Lying about work targets during the festive season is not the best way to dodge work. Even your boss knows that you are lying. Chances are you won’t be believed, even if you lie about someone dear passing on.
Rather than putting your job in peril, tell your boss the truth or better still, take your leave days during the festive season, to avoid being caught off-guard.