It’s no secret that the holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year. There’s a lot to be done - both at home and at work. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association around 58% of Canadians report “overload” associated with their many roles – work, home and family, friends, physical health, volunteer and community service. Balancing all those commitments certainly isn’t easy, but there are ways to help make your everyday juggling act less stressful, and more of a motivating challenge. If you want to achieve a healthy work-life balance this holiday season, consider these three tips!

Daily Exercise

Although daily exercise may sound like one more to-do on your long list, it’s something you should always strive to achieve. Exercising not only helps to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, it’s also a fantastic stress relief. Exercising for just 60 minutes a week can help you to focus more easily and get a better night’s sleep (which is hugely important!) Schedule at least 15 minutes a day for exercise - if you’re not sure what to do, a brisk walk around your place of work is a perfect activity!

Make yourself unavailable

Modern communication has blurred the lines between work and play. Text messages and E-mail notifications on our smart phones and computers act as a constant reminder of what we have to do, and can be a source of anxiety. In order to obtain a healthy work-life balance, there has to be a distinction between work and home. Even for individuals who work at home, there are ways you can create separation. The trick is knowing when it’s okay to stop working. Don’t work more than 8 hours a day. For some workers, like hospital employees, this mantra may not be possible. However, working for more than 8 hours can lead to fatigue, which can reduce concentration, memory and motivation. If you do work 12 hour days, make sure you get lots of sleep on your days off - your body needs it! Set aside specific times during the day to check your email, and only check then. Having notifications come in all the time is distracting, and leads to procrastination. Try to tackle your emails all at once, and mute your inbox when you need to get work done.

Setting priorities

One of the common culprits of stress is disorganization. When you don’t have a plan, it’s a lot easier to forget something, which can lead to some unfortunate circumstances (like Christmas shopping on Christmas eve). One way to tackle this problem is by setting a list of priorities or “to-do’s” at the end of every day. Planning out essential to-dos with a realistic timeline will keep you organized, and help to deal with your holiday stress! Hopefully this article helps you to have a less stressful holiday season this year. If you have questions regarding work-life balance, be sure to message us through our social channels. Happy Holidays!

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