It’s not just difficult family relationships and potentially stretched budgets to buy expensive gifts that make the holiday season stressful. Workplace concerns can also surface at the end of the year, such as not achieving all of your goals, looming deadlines, and burnout.
Patricia Dixon, a licensed clinical psychologist and adjunct professor at National Louis University in Tampa, says it’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed by work stress around the holidays.
Looking back on the past year, you may feel that we tended to “focus too much on what we weren’t doing,” Dixon told CNBC Make It. “And it makes us lose sight of what we have.”
Whether you’re struggling to pull yourself out of the deep end or battling the feeling that you haven’t done enough, here are some tips from Dixon and other psychologists to help you navigate holiday stress.
Focus on your achievements, not your shortcomings
Maybe you didn’t get the big promotion you’ve been eyeing since January. Or you didn’t launch the business you had in mind. That doesn’t mean there aren’t wins to be proud of at the end of the year, Dixon says.
“Reset your perspective to see things more clearly and accurately,” she says. “There may still be a lot of work to do, but look at all the things that give you a sense of accomplishment.”
For example, even if you didn’t get a promotion, your boss gave you a raise because of your hard work and dedication to the team. And if you don’t get your business off the ground, at least you’ve got a plan in place and you’ve got your licenses and permits ready to go.
No matter how small or insignificant a victory may seem, a victory is still a victory, Dixon says. “When you focus too much on the end rather than the process, you miss out on the little celebrations in between that make the burden a little easier.”
listen to your mind and body
More than half (55%) of U.S. employees feel burnt out, according to Eagle Hill Consulting’s Employee Burnout Survey, conducted in November with more than 14,000 respondents.
These employees reported that burnout negatively impacted their efficiency, work performance, and creativity.
Judith Joseph, a psychiatrist and researcher specializing in mental health and trauma, says it’s important to listen to your mind and body and set boundaries when necessary, rather than putting your health on the back burner in order to maintain your high performance and reputation as a reliable team member.
“Before you say yes or no to a task, pause for a moment and ask yourself if you really want to do it,” Joseph wrote for CNBC Make It in April. “So often, there’s a little voice inside of us that tells us we’re burnt out and that it’s impossible to work all weekend.”
That’s especially true at the end of the year, when you’re focused on family time or when you want to refresh yourself for a few days, Dixon adds.
“Embrace your inner infant.”
Dixon, author of Embrace Your Inner Toddler: A Blueprint for Living Joyful, says the best advice if you’re feeling overwhelmed at work is to live like a 3-year-old.
There are four fundamentals to life as a toddler. It’s play time, snack time, nap time, and an “unapologetically no”. This is when the child firmly establishes his position and does not intend to comply with the demands of his parents. explains Dixon.
As an adult, this might mean taking a 15-minute break between work to play Sudoku or Wordle, packing your favorite energizing snack to boost your energy during the day, taking some time for meditation or breathing exercises, or saying no to extra work you don’t have the bandwidth for.
Of course, we want to take our careers seriously and finish this year on a strong note. But we can still find ways to enjoy work without it draining us, Dixon says.
“There are ways to take your career seriously without taking yourself too seriously,” she says. The race for advancement “can have a negative impact on our mental, emotional and physical health. It’s important to know when to take a break and know what your limits are.”
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