Celebrate your wins this Christmas

As different as this Christmas may be, there are still things we can do to maintain our health and make a positive difference to ourselves, our employees, and the lives of people we connect with.

Better support for you and your teams

Woman in winter clothes sat outside with feet on balcony smiling

Let’s face it, for many of us – and like most of 2020 – this Christmas will not be the best we ever have.

As much as we enjoy the warmth and comfort of sharing good food, good company and good times, COVID-19 continues to impact the things we love.

But as different as this Christmas may be, there are still things we can do to maintain our health and make a positive difference to ourselves, our employees, and the lives of people we connect with.

And as 2020 ends, we can all take steps before the New Year to continue to overcome the challenges we face heading into 2021.

In fact, the World Economic Forum is strongly recommending employers make improvements in how we support people now, to drive productivity and reduce the risk of burnout in 2021.

Making a strong start to the new year requires a team that is well-rested and resilient.

Studies show that exhausted and burnt-out teams experience higher turnover and lower productivity and making a strong start to the new year requires a team that is well-rested and resilient.

Here are 3 key things to help support your team – and yourself – over the festive period.

 

Woman in scarf drinking tea outside

Reflect

A huge part of Christmas is about looking back.

Regardless of our religious nature, traditions, widely shared or more personally exclusive, shape a lot of what we do.

So, it’s likely we’ll spend plenty of time in December thinking about the past and in particular the highs and the lows of the last 12 months.

This can be a powerful way to make a positive difference to our wellbeing heading into the New Year.

We should ask ourselves what changed this year?

And acknowledge the achievements and positive outcomes both ourselves and our employees experienced – no matter how small they may seem in the grand scheme of things.

To put it simply, in 2020, EVERY win is a big win.

Write down your wins, and ask your colleagues, employees, and friends what they experienced – and when they share their win, make sure they know how good an achievement it is.

Celebrating a win always feels good, even if it’s not directly our own.

Young daqd plays with daughter on floor next to Christmas tree

Rest

If you or your team are feeling exhausted heading into Christmas, you’re not alone.

Even without the challenges of 2020, December always delivers a whirlwind of seasonal pressures for us to force our way through.

Whether it’s present buying, family reunions, relationships, repeatedly checking our credit card balance, rushing to meet end of year deadlines or simply the extra food and alcohol we might consume, there’s plenty of added stress.

Ensuring ourselves and our employees take time to rest is vital.

Here are 3 simple but essential tips to use and share with  as you head into the Christmas break…

  1. Switch off – make a time to do something you enjoy. Whether it’s listening to music, watching a movie, or binging Netflix, shutting out the world for a short while has many benefits – and also enables you to help yourself instead of trying to please other people.
  2. Bust a move – Plan time for some physical activity. You don’t have to start marathon training or turn your home into a gym – simply get outside for a walk or other exercise where you can. Set yourself a goal of a daily 30-minute walk, or 25 push-ups throughout the day and commit to it. Achieving these small goals boosts our mental and physical wellbeing.
  3. Get a good night’s sleep – Another obvious one, but we all know how we feel after a poor night’s sleep. Exercise and taking time to switch off during the day helps with quality sleep too. Check out our update on the Impact of Sleep on our Wellbeing.

man wears headphones and smiles while working at a laptop

Rejuvenate

Now is the time to help our teams walk into 2021 with realistic optimism by giving them the structure and support they need.

As leaders, December is the time to shore up our teams and help them move into January with a positive and excited sense about coming back to work in the new year.

Or at the very least we can help reduce the post-holiday anxiety of the first day back.

We can do this by addressing some of issues which may make our employees think about leaving.

This is an important process this time of year as global trends indicate 31 January is the most popular day to quit a job.

Three of the most common reasons people want to change careers are:

  • Poor relationships with managers
  • Lack of fulfilment or purpose in current role
  • The need or desire for better work/life balance

We can use these issues as a guide to check in with our employees at the end of the year – particularly those who may need support.

It’s also good to ask what else can our organisations do to improve or alleviate any of these issues for our team members, so when we all start work again in January we come with a fresh and positive mindset.

…remember, be kind to yourself

Equally important over Christmas is to remember we need to take time for ourselves.

By reflecting on our personal learnings, we can plan to make lasting changes to our approach, structure, or team to maximise success in 2021.

Contact us today to find out more about supporting the health and wellbeing of your team through winter and make a stronger start to 2021.

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