Ho, ho, holidays are coming and you’re the designated one to come to work during Christmas holidays. It’s a challenge to stay focused in the lead up to the Christmas period, especially when people ask you what you’re doing over the holidays. Here is a glimpse of what it will be like alone at the office: you start of your day by telling yourself that you will get the tasks done today. As determined as you are, you might end up having silly conversation with your friends, replying and sending out e-mails and, of course, get really busy on social outlets, just like most of us here.
How do we avoid all the temptations? How do we stop our mind from wandering all over the merry and jolly Christmas articles and sites? I know it’s extremely hard to realign your focus, but there are some tricks you can use to discard the activity that diverts your attention.
1. Don’t fall into the temptation of multitasking – work in chunks
Giving in to interruptions can be even greater this time of year. Create your to-do list and prioritize tasks: what must be done before the end of the year, and in what order. Write it down, share it with your team, set deadlines. Start working on these as soon as possible so you’re not staying late on Christmas Eve. It’s a scientific fact that our brains can only be attentive on a limited amount of information for a limited amount of time so working in chunks might be the perfect trick to keep you focused. Thinking only about work comes easier if you devote 30-60 minutes to a task and work hard during that time, knowing that you can take a short break after. Breaks refresh you, “clear the cache” in your brain and it’s a great opportunity to get up, walk around, stretch and otherwise unplug from work.
2. It’s not Christmas until December 25th
Work at work, have fun on the holiday. A good way to keep focused is by reminding yourself that today is not a holiday. Today is just like any other day, so you should work as if it were any normal day in June or September. Work hard while you’re at work, and when it’s the actual holiday, then enjoy yourself and have fun.
Tip: try to schedule meetings in your calendar for holiday needs just as you would do for work tasks. This includes everything from sending holiday cards to looking online for presents, to cat photos and festive recipes. If you know you’ll have time to accomplish these tasks, you won’t feel the urge to try and squeeze them in during the workday.
3. You’re not too cool for prepping
Spend the last few minutes of every work day prepping for the next day. Clean your workspace and write a to-do list of urgent and important items. Then, when you come in the next morning, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running. Don’t forget to be realistic with yourself and others about how much you will be able to do, when you will be available, and when others can anticipate a response from you.
Yes, the holidays are a time when there are even more distractions than ever at work. But if you can find a way to cope and get your work done, you’ll be starting off the New Year ahead of the game. I hope these tips will help make your holiday season less stressful and more enjoyable.
