Ah, the holidays. Time to relax, hang out with the family, and celebrate the joys of the season.
This time of year I'm reminded of what it was like to work in an office environment. Work started to slow down as people left early to start their holidays. Quiet afternoons gave way to informal gatherings in the boardroom, for secret Santa gift exchanges and the occasional drink of eggnog and if you were lucky, a drop of rum. By the last day, things were free and easy, and often the office shutdown would commence, between Christmas Eve and January 3rd.
If you're a workshifter, the scene can be very different.
The run up to the holidays can be quite stressful; plowing through billable projects so invoices can be sent (and hopefully paid!) prior to year end keeps us very busy the closer Christmas gets. We don't always have the luxury of a holiday shutdown...deadlines loom in spite of our clients being away. And, somehow we still need to balance our shopping and baking and gift wrapping with social gatherings. Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure a smooth and enjoyable holiday season, even if you're more than a little tied to your desk while everyone else is checking out for the season.
Keep Distractions to a Minimum
Distractions are super high this time of year. Everyone is online talking about shopping, and food, and travel plans, and parties...and you're stuck on the computer trying to get one more proposal out the door, or finish that year end client report. It's pretty easy to get sidetracked by all the fun everyone else is having. So now, more than ever, shut down the Twitter and Facebook streams, and focus. Set your task list for the day and don't even think about peeking at your email or social stream till it's done. Then, at the end of the day, reward yourself with a festive drink and join the party again.
Online Shopping is Your Friend
When you're focused on work, you can be reluctant pull away from the desk and go holiday shopping. This time of year, a one hour trip to the toy store can easily become a three hour marathon, and that's time the average work shifter simply can't afford. A few years ago I started doing my Christmas shopping online and I've never been happier. It takes way less time to place an order than to shop in person, and I find there is often more variety and better deals. And delivery is a snap - after all, you're home most days to accept deliveries, right? There is still a bit of time to shop online and still receive things in time for Christmas. So get on it!
Use the Downtime
No matter how busy you are in the next couple of weeks, it's going to be quiet between Christmas and New Years. So why not use that time wisely? Clean up your office and purge out all the unnecessary junk you've accumulated over the year. File those receipts that have been shoved in that box under your desk. You're going to appreciate those organized receipts in a couple of months when you're swamped again and it's tax time. And perhaps most importantly, don't forget to close up shop yourself for a bit. Set your out of office notice. Don't answer the phone. Turn off your notifications. And just enjoy your family and friends. You've earned the break!
Happy Holidays!
Photo Credit: iampeas
