Burnout is described as a state of physical and emotional exhaustion, often caused by long-term work-related stress. As it’s been an extremely busy end to the year, it’s important to be mindful throughout these last few days before the Christmas break so that you take all the necessary steps to ensure a stress-free holiday.
When trying to juggle a fulltime job alongside membership association responsibilities it can be very easy to get caught up in an “always-on” mentality, but as the Christmas period should be for you and your family, it’s important to learn how to “switch off”:
Here are our top 5 tips to get prepared for the Christmas shutdown:
Communicate
It’s important to take a step back and acknowledge that there’s only so much work you can do before the break. Examine your to-do list and calendar to make sure that your workload is manageable, and that you take on no more than is feasibly possible.
Speak to other members of your association and workplace to get a feel for how much work they have on, and if they can help you. Although you may want to please everybody, it’s important to realise that sometimes it’s okay to say no – every now and then you do have to put your foot down.
Be Strict with Yourself
Flexibility is key to a healthy work environment, most certainly over the Christmas period and even more so when you have a family to look after, but you must set yourself rules!
This is especially important when working from home, (who hasn’t snuck in a load of washing in their lunch break), but you must set boundaries to allow for a good work/life balance.
Create strict policies for yourself around screen shut off time and recognise that you shouldn’t work any later than you normally would at your office. Recognise where your time is being spent because the holidays will be over before you know it.
Recognise Stress
This is imperative before you become overwhelmed. It’s not always easy to shut off once the clock strikes 5, and even if you manage to do so, workplace related stress can simmer in the back of your mind without you realising.
Untreated stress can have a huge impact on mental health. It is important to familiarise yourself with the symptoms of stress so that you can tackle the problem at its roots before it reaches an unmanageable stage.
Automate
Try to automate all processes you can when out of the office. Member renewals, automatic replies and inbox management are all examples of tasks you can let your computer take care of, if you have the right tools.
Take time to research software that can help alleviate the stress of being away from your desk – there are a plethora of free options available, and even some that you may already have at the ready with Microsoft Office.
Relax
Reward yourself over Christmas. Reflect on how much you’ve achieved within the past 12 months and give yourself a break from thinking about what is to come. Take time to enjoy yourself, spend time with your loved ones and catch up on some much-deserved rest.
Let us know your plans for the Christmas shutdown in the comments!
