Tet is coming, and as always, your life is probably getting a little bit crazy while you prepare. You might be getting overloaded at work, which leads to stress. This causes your production to slow, thus creating more stress. You can see where this is going.
So, how are you going to beat the pre- and post- Tet stress? Here’s five things that you can do before and during your holiday to make sure that your holidays aren’t stressing you out.
- Create a to-do list. It normally has two parts. There’s personal: who will feed the pets, who do I give red envelopes to, cleaning the house. And there’s all the things work related. As soon as you have your lists, put priorities on each item. You might want to start easy and work your way up to the hard stuff, but resist that urge. Getting the important and urgent items off of your list will cause your stress to drop considerably, and the rest of that checklist will get much easier.
- Don’t let others overtask you because they didn’t plan or prioritize properly. It’s okay to say no. You can’t take care of your friends if you don’t take care of yourself first.
- Before, during and after the holiday, take care of yourself. We have holidays so that we can recharge and stay balanced, so make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and getting some exercise. It’s easy to say that you don’t have time, but remember the priority during holidays is to take care of yourself and the people you care about. So prioritize self care.
- Take at least half a day off before you leave on holiday to give yourself a chance to unwind and take full advantage of your time away.
- Check out! While you are away, be away. Not only do you not get to enjoy your holiday, but those around you want to enjoy spending time together. So put your e-mails and work on hold until you return.
Now, you might do all of those things, but what happens when you return? Planning your first week and everything you do when you get back is every bit as important as planning before you leave. Here’s three things to help make sure that you don’t feel like you need another vacation after that vacation:
- Give yourself at least half a day to unpack, wash some clothes and think about next week. And most importantly, remember your holidays and smile. Maybe even organize some of your photos to replay your favorite memories.
- Limit meetings on your first week back. This will give you time to get back on top of things, as well as reprioritizing your checklist.
- This will sound a little crazy, but it really helps. Make sure to step up your fun level on your first week back. It is very easy to get depressed when you finish your holiday to come back to “reality”. Plan a meal or drinks with your friends and family to show your favorite photos and talk about the adventure you just had.
Remember that holidays are meant to be about loving, laughing and creating lasting memories. Happy New Year!
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