Employee Well-being: Wellness and the Holidays

Wellness and the Holidays

For many, the holiday season can be a time of joy, relaxation, and time spent with others. It can also be a time where many personal and professional commitments can leave you feeling overwhelmed. It can also be a time where you may be feeling lonely or isolated. The Healthy Workplace committee is pleased to provide resources on maintaining and prioritizing your well-being during the holiday season.

Here are some times for reducing holiday stress:

Create an overarching, realistic budget. An annual budget with a section dedicated to the holidays will push you to save in small increments over time limiting end-of-the-year fiscal worries. Haven’t done a budget this year? It’s okay! Create a holiday-specific budget now, by outlining expenses and what you can spend during this time. Take into account travel, dining out, and other seasonal stapes that extend beyond gift giving. For more information on budgeting, visit our financial wellness page.

Be open to good memory making. In most cases, families plan holiday gatherings with good intentions, and the genuine hope of connecting with loved ones. So, even if these have a history of being stressful, make a concentrated effort to approach each one optimistically, yet realistically, and as a new, fresh opportunity to bond in any way you can. Be open, and consciously seek out special moments or shared laughter. Often the small, unexpected times become the happiest memories.

Identifying specific stressors and making a plan. Prior to an event, ask yourself what exactly is causing your anxiety? Uncomfortable in social settings? Won’t know anyone or what to say to those you do? Figuring out exactly what the most worrisome things for you are helps break down what may seem like an overwhelming challenge into smaller, more manageable pieces. Plan when you’ll go, how long you’ll stay, and who you’ll make an effort to talk to. Wear something you feel good in, and that’s comfortable to alleviate some of the possible uneasiness.

LinkedIn Learning: Managing Feeling Overwhelmed

Feeling overwhelmed is common. It’s a sign that the demands on your time and energy have surpassed your ability to cope with them. Sometimes overwhelm is temporary; other times, it can lead to persistent and unhealthy pressure and strain. The good news is that with the right mindset you can make the unmanageable feel manageable again. In this course from stress expert and performance coach Heidi Hanna, you can learn how to identify and conquer that overwhelmed feeling—so you can remain focused, productive, and in control in the face of whatever comes your way. Discover how to disrupt the stress circuit, cultivate calm and positive emotions, and take small, imperfect steps toward resolution. Heidi also provides tips for recognizing and preventing the overwhelm, so it doesn’t get out of control the next time you have too much to do.

To further help with tips, tricks, and ideas to manage feelings of being overwhelmed, an eCourse has been curated on LinkedIn Learning, free to McMaster employees.

Visit the Employee Well-being webpage for more information, and to take our free LinkedIn Learning eCourse

Source: Heidi Hanna, LinkedIn Learning