Tis the Season of Balance: The Joy of Balancing Work & Holiday Fun

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Alison Bruns for writing today's blog post. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. 

Well, the holidays are upon us once again. This time of year creates buzz around the office, the company and worldwide. And regardless of your industry, a heightened sense of cheer and joy is often met with year-end deadlines and multiple after-hours commitments, not to mention what your personal life begs of you. While the season can be fraught with anxiety, stress and unhealthy habits, there is a way to navigate your way to a happy and balanced 2017!

Here are 3 simple tips to help get you through the holiday season. Remind yourself of them whenever you're feeling like it's all just a bit too much!

1. Maximize your most productive hours

With many working from home to balance the holidays or as part of their normal work life, make it a priority this month to set aside 3 to 4 hours a day of ‘focused-productivity.’ Choose this time period for the hours when you know you are most easily able to focus and power through projects. For some, this time is early in the morning, while for others, it's after lunch. Make a mindful effort to identify when that block of time happens for you, and make a habit of refusing to be distracted during that time. This will ensure you are not feeling guilty when the water cooler chat turns into a holiday inspired Golden-Tee tournament or your kids want to decorate the tree with you after school.

2. Shop Online

Hello? Are you not doing this? Do you like standing in line? Save yourself and your nerves some stress and wasted time. With services like Amazon Prime, which offers free 2-day shipping on many items, there's no reason to add to your demands with trips to busy malls or department stores.

3. Say No

This one is so important but so often forgotten, especially around the holidays! Saying ‘No’ to some of the many requests that will inevitably be thrown your way this holiday season is a way of saying ‘YES!’ to yourself. You will be a better employee, co-worker, friend, spouse, parent, etc if you make it priority #1 to carve out the R&R and me-time that you need to be the best you.