The Race to Christmas – Are You Ready?

The race towards Christmas has started.  Many people that I have spoken to have noticed the increase in pace at work as well as the end of school year activities and the massive need for people to go out for Christmas functions, which is probably going to be bigger now that people have been out of lockdown for a little bit!

This is the time of year when people can easily get overwhelmed and overly stressed.  I spoke to a small business owner recently who was being challenged with keeping his staff focused and positive.  In speaking to him, he explained that his people were already getting stressed out and starting to put in more hours at work in order to be able to relax over the holidays.

This started me thinking about what people can do to not become the stressed out and grumpy “Grinch” leading up to the holidays.  And I am not just talking about work.  Many people become more stressed out at home as they have to shift their routine at home balancing the numerous social events that jump into the calendar at the end of the year.

So what can you do to stay calm and be the happy and stress free person that everyone loves to be around?

Winning the Race to Christmas:

1. Prepare for the Race. Just like any sporting event, you need to take the time to be mentally and physically ready.  I see the race to Christmas as a long race, more of a marathon than a sprint.  Make sure that you take the time to exercise and move to release the stress and kick in the endorphins that keep us happy.  Also make sure that you take the time to keep healthy.  With many parties leading up to the holidays make sure that you focus on the good stuff.
2. Remember to Embrace the Spirit of the Holidays. For children Christmas can be a wonderful time of year.  It’s a time of presents, holidays and yummy food.  Sometimes we forget about this.  Take the time to reconnect with the spirit of the holidays.  Also share a special memory from when you were a child of some of the joy that you had whilst growing up.
3. Spread the Cheer to Anyone & Everyone.  Remember to spread positive energy to those around you.  Giving someone a simple smile when you look at them can really light them up.  Be someone that others want to hang out with because of the positive energy that you are spreading.

You may want to provide others with a present that will help them next year and a copy of my book Leadership Hacks:  Clever shortcuts to boost your impact and results is what many people would love to learn from over the holidays.  Click here to buy and enter RACE in the coupon code to receive 10% Discount and we will ship it to you (or them!) before Christmas!  Although the race to Christmas can be a bit stressful, by being more mindful and keeping everything in perspective we can make a positive difference to our colleagues, friends and family.