It’s that time of the year again – the season that should be filled with joy, cosy moments with loved ones, and festive preparation. Yet, for many of us, it turns into a race: rushing to hit year-end targets, juggling multiple work and personal events, and scrambling to ‘wrap it all up’ (in the literal and figurative sense!!) before the holidays begin. Sounds familiar?
Today, I’m sharing some practical tips to help:
1) Prepare for your holidays
2) Enjoy your break
3) Plan for a soft landing in January
Ready? Let’s dive in
🎄 How to get prepared for your holidays!
The holidays are approaching, and while this season is meant for rest and joy, many of us end up sprinting to the finish line – exhausted and ironically starting our break unwell. Let’s avoid that this time! Here are 3 best practices to prepare for your holidays:
1️⃣ Prioritise ruthlessly:
Avoid the crazy 100-m race to finish everything 😨 before your holidays. In the next few days, prioritise using the 4D method:
- Delegate (Tips on how to say Delegate, here): pass on tasks like Christmas shopping or team end-of-year dinner.
- Drop/say NO (Tips on how to say No, here): Skipping the perfect Christmas decorations, missing a few holidays parties? That’s totally fine!
- Delay: What can wait? Non-urgent work projects? House-renovation? Push them into the new year.
- Do: Focus only on what’s important and urgent right now (meeting year-end targets?, finalising your 2025 strategy?) and make time for what truly matters – like your kids’ Christmas show?
Remember: starting your break completely exhausted and stressed – sur les rotules, as we say – often means your immune system crashes on Day 1 of your leave! Prioritise wisely to start your holidays rested, not wrecked! 💪🏽
2️⃣ Prepare a solid handover plan for you and your team
and include it in your out-of-office message 📝! While most businesses wind down – some even closing completely between christmas and new year – there might still be work requiring attention.
As a manager, I always ensured that we had a solid back up plan during the holidays. Some team members prefer taking leave outside peak seasons, while others (like parents) have no choice but to align their holidays with school’s breaks. Pair the right teammates so everyone can leave in peace, knowing there should be no work issues to deal with during leaves and minimal ones to deal with upon return!
Bonus: It’s also a great opportunity to empower your team 💪🏽 by delegating responsibilities! No one is irreplaceable!!
3️⃣ Be realistic about end-of-year holiday expectations.
Christmas holidays often don’t deliver the rest & relaxation we need and dream of. Instead, you might find yourself sitting, eating and drinking more than usual, with limited to no exercise due to bad weather (Hello North Hemisphere!) and the chaos of kids. Add to that the many houses, friends and family members to visit, and suddenly your usually very limited ‘me-time’ now completely disappeared! 😨
The risk? You return feeling frustrated (not reading any of the books you packed!), tired (late nights, noise, chasing young children, or negotiating screen time with teens) and stiff (minimal movement and indulgent meals). 😨
✨ You’re not alone – So be kind with yourself ! And instead focus on the bright side (the glass of champagne half full! haha!). Christmas holidays bring other wellbeing benefits such as social bonding, positive emotions, gratitude practises, acts of kindness – whether through giving gifts, or simply being present.
So, rather than complaining, embrace the joy this season brings 🙏. After all, that’s the magic of Christmas. 😉
🎄🎄How to make the most of your end-of-year holidays
Now that you’re on holiday, it doesn’t mean you will be any less busy! Here are 3 best practices to make the most of your end-of-year holidays!
1️⃣ Disconnect
(no emails, chats, calls and social media apps! 🙈 This may feel impossible at first – even for a few days – you might catch yourself sneaking peeks at emails or pings in the toilets! But trust me, this disconnection is essential for your wellbeing and mental reset – and nobody is indispensable so with a solid handover plan (above) you wont be needed!
- Basic level: Mute all notifications.
- Intermediate level: Temporarily remove work-related apps (yes, even LinkedIn!) or leave your work phone in a drawer until January.
- Expert level: Go for a full digital detox—
- Keep phones off the dinner table 🍽️ and out of the bedroom 🛌.
- Limit or skip gaming and social media apps entirely.
👉 Why disconnect? No better moment to unplug than this magical period between Christmas and New Year when everyone—colleagues, customers, and inboxes—hits pause. It will feel less stress, in the moment and more open to people around you. Surprisingly, this also brings a productivity boost 🚀 when you return—your creativity, energy, and focus will be refreshed!
2️⃣ Go for (again) realistic healthy practices!
Let’s face it—Christmas isn’t the ideal time to stick to a health plan. Instead of aiming for perfection (which we all know we should NOT!😅), give yourself practical options:
- Organising a family walk – in the forest, park, or even a stroll around the neighborhood – a great way to get everyone moving and share some quality time together.
- Agreeing with family members to limit 🙊 cheese, sugary desserts, or wines to once a day ! a win-win for everyone.
- Find other ways to keep active: A dance-off in the living room? A playful snowball fight?
3️⃣ Reconnect with your inner child:
Forget about adult responsibilities, house worries, education principles (🙉 I’m going strong here) for a while – have fun! 🥳 These end-of-year holidays are perfect for slowing down and enjoying the simple joys like board games, classic christmas movies with popcorn, snowball fights (or beach volley games), cooking together even if things get messy!
Let go of perfection, embrace the chaos 🎄, and and make the most of what this season brings. After all, these moments will become memories…
🎄🎄🎄How to anticipate January back-to-work blues.
As the holidays come to an end, let’s beat the January blues…Here’re 3 tips to ease the transition!
1️⃣ Consider a silent and slow return 🙊:
Block your first day back from meetings and calls. This allows you to tackle your email backlog, prioritise (4D again 😉 and plan your month without feeling overwhelmed by constant interruptions! You’ll start the year feeling empowered and in control, rather than already swamped.
👉 As a leader: Help your team ease back into work by prioritising (4D) and clearly communicating what’s important vs. urgent! Also consider streamlining meetings – reducing frequency and duration during the first few weeks. This small change will certainly please the team + reduce stress and improve efficiency.
2️⃣ Extend holiday moods ☀️:
The holiday season might be over but nothing stops you from keeping the holiday spirit alive and organising something to look forward to: January comes with King’s galette so gather a few friends? Schedule a weekend gateway if you didn’t have enough me-time over the holidays? Planning, anticipating and savouring positive experiences like these will have a bug impact on your wellbeing
👉 As a leader, Create a positive and engaging work environment by sending a ‘’happy new year’’ email, sharing authentic stories about your holiday, organising a team event to boost morale and re-engage the team, or offering ‘extra’ flexible work arrangements. Advocate for the importance of holidays and encourage your team to already plan their next one – it’s a motivation booster!
3️⃣ (Re) setting healthy habits:
January is famous for New Year’s resolutions—and it’s the perfect time to incorporate (or re-establish) routines that improve your wellbeing. Whether cycling to work, running during lunch-time with colleagues, having family dinner, or daily breathing practices!!. Ask yourself and your family what you individually and collectively want to continue, change or add this new year.
👉 As a leader, reset healthy team norms: Holidays often provide clarity on stressors like being always-on, too many meetings or poor flexible work arrangements. January is a perfect time to assess what’s working, what needs improvement and reset your team norms together. For instance, dare to reevaluate your entire meeting calendar – asking yourself are all meetings necessary? Do they have a clear agenda and purpose? Could some be shortened or cancelled?
If you’re unsure how to approach this, seek professional support (like me 😉 to run workshops on building team norms (details here)
By taking small steps to ease back into work and reset positive habits, you can start the new year feeling energized and empowered!
Conclusion
As the holiday season approaches, let’s aim to thrive instead of just surviving this festive season!. By preparing wisely, making the most of what this season offers, and easing into the new year, we can make the most of this special time! So let’s embrace the chaos and create lasting memories.
