This year has been pretty non-stop. We’ve all discovered new things to be stressed or scared or angry about. There’s a lot of negative emotion in the air, which is a hard thing to sit with when Christmas is coming up soon, a time of year with immense pressure to be happy. It can be hard to properly unwind, but the World Health Organisation reported that time away is crucial for preventing burnout. So how can you actually switch off and take a proper break this Christmas?
Put your phone down
Like, seriously. Turn it off, put it out of sight, don’t let yourself be tempted to check any emails. In fact, try and avoid screens as much as possible. If you’ve been working from home, you’ve probably basically been living in front of the computer or on your phone. We weren’t built for that! Even without pandemics and working from home to think about, the average adult spends 34 years of their life in front of a screen. All this screen time can come with problems such as eyestrain, headaches and neck pains. Give yourself some of that time back by really avoiding your phone and your laptop and even your TV where possible. If you can, play board games, eat good food, go for walks. Set your email to ‘out of office’ so your colleagues know not to expect replies and save your laptop for Skyping relatives only!
Plan some fun!
This Christmas might look a bit different, and you might not be able to organise some fun time with friends and family like you want to. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun at all! If you are lucky enough to be spending this Christmas with your loved ones, make sure to pencil in some quality time together, whether that be playing board games or watching your favourite films together. If you’re on your own this year, make sure to call your friends and family for catch ups from afar. Ok, this might slightly go against our point of avoiding screens, but hey, we’d say this is more important. Have a call, do a virtual quiz, just something to feel connected to your loved ones. But also plan some fun things to help you enjoy your own company. Go for a walk somewhere new and take some nice pictures to send to your friends. Read a book you’ve been putting off for ages. Do some colouring in. Find a creative outlet that works for you.
Also just relax
Definitely schedule in some fun activities, but don’t be tempted to fill every minute of your Christmas break with stuff. When you feel tired and really just want to put your feet up for a minute, do it. Have an early night, have a lie in, have a duvet day, whatever helps you really get your energy back. We’re going to give you another screentime pass here too, and say, if you want to spend a few hours in bed watching Netflix on your laptop, go for it! You have our blessing.
Reflect (but keep the reflections personal!)
Now is not the time to reflect back on your work performance. But some self-reflection on what you are doing for you - what kind of self-care rituals you are engaging in, how you are maintaining your relationships, what hobbies you want to spend more time on - is a great way to really connect with yourself and figure out how to make sure you are balancing the stresses of everyday life with the things that make it worth it.
Be kind to yourself!
If you’re used to working hard, it can be hard to let yourself fully take time off without feeling guilty about it. If you feel the guilt creeping in, firstly acknowledge it (it’s impossible to ignore the feelings in our own heads), but then remind yourself that it’s irrational. You are allowed to have a break, and more importantly, you should have a break. It’s good for you and it’s good for everyone around you when you’re not overly stressed and burnt out. It will help you to be a happier healthier person and in the long run it will help you do better work. Looking after yourself is the first step to looking after everything around you.
You have had a tough year. You have dealt with a lot of unexpected stuff that no one was cut out to deal with alone, and yet you probably did try to deal with it alone because you didn’t want to burden anyone else. But now it’s time to put yourself first, have a break and really let yourself recharge over Christmas. The best way to not be a burden to anyone else is by looking after yourself, and letting them look after you if you need them to. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, please have a much-needed rest this December and go easy on yourself. You’ve earned it 100 times over.