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Managing work and family isn’t easy \u2013 especially at Christmas, when the kids are excited but you\u2019ve still got an inbox of 1,000 emails! There are always going to be moments that you miss out on when you\u2019re in a demanding job, but there are ways to make things a little easier.<\/p>\n
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1. Quality Counts More Than Quantity<\/strong> 2. Communication, Communication, Communication<\/strong> 3. Smart Working<\/strong><\/p>\n Think about asking for flexibility at work. Make sure you approach it as a win-win scenario. What are the positives for the business? Present solutions and not problems. Identify what <\/i>needs to be delivered, and the discussion will become about outcomes rather than presenteeism. Technology is an added benefit – it allows us to be more flexible and increases engagement, productivity and agility for the business.<\/p>\n 4. Have Something to Look Forward To<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the reasons we work is so that we can allow ourselves to take care of the basic needs of life and have fun. What good is all the hard work if you don\u2019t have something to look forward to? On a small scale, arrange some Christmas drinks with your friends at the weekend, and on a larger scale book a holiday away with your family for a week and enjoy those hard earned days off! The more you have to look forward to, the easier it is to remember why <\/i>you\u2019re putting in so much hard work in the first place.<\/p>\n 5. Attend Events That Will Provide You with Help and Ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n The Christmas holidays provide a great opportunity to attend supportive events and conferences that give advice on returning to work and how to go about starting up your own business.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1. Prepare Everything You Can Ahead of Time<\/strong><\/p>\n For me, this involves writing and scheduling blog posts and status updates to keep things ticking over, but most people in different careers have a certain proportion of their work that they can get done ahead of time.<\/p>\n 2. Don’t Leave Projects Half-Completed<\/strong><\/p>\n Wherever possible, get things finished before your last day in the office \u2013 if they’re done, dusted and out of the door then you won’t find yourself worrying over the holidays.<\/p>\n 3. Turn on Your Out of Office and Avoid Checking Your E-mails<\/strong><\/p>\n I know it’s hard to resist the temptation to check your e-mails, especially if they’re set up on your smartphone, but setting up an out of office and leaving your e-mails until you get back in to the office will help you to relax properly and to forget about the stresses of work.<\/p>\n 4. Make Sure That Everyone Knows What They\u2019re Expected To Do<\/strong><\/p>\n If, like me, you need to do a little bit of work over the break, then make sure that you know exactly what you need to do so you can boot up your machine, get it done and get back to the festivities as quickly as possible. The same applies to everyone else on your team.<\/p>\n 5. Make Notes as a Last Resort<\/strong><\/p>\n Some people find it impossible to completely switch off, and that\u2019s okay. If you do have a fantastic idea that you want to implement at your company, jot it down and forget about it, then revisit your notes on your return to the office. It\u2019s highly likely that it can wait until then, so why make a start when you\u2019re supposed to be spending time with your family?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Write some personal goals and some work goals for the holiday period down in advance – and tell people about them. They will then understand what you are doing rather than being surprised.<\/p>\n 2. Set an Intention<\/strong><\/p>\n Expect the best and that\u2019s what will happen. You get what you focus on, so focus on enjoyment and balance rather than expecting disappointment and frustration.<\/p>\n 3. Decide What is Important to You<\/strong><\/p>\n Its okay to want to work over the holidays if it is important and you feel alright with it. Let other people know what you want to achieve throughout the festivities to avoid feeling resentful and disappointed.<\/p>\n 4. Be Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n People often feel they need to conform to keep everyone happy but it often has the opposite effect. Find a way of keeping cheerful, being you, and doing what you want or need to do.<\/p>\n 5. Find out What is Important to Others<\/strong><\/p>\n If you know, then you can contribute to other\u2019s enjoyment. If their wishes are opposite to yours, then have a conversation using the phrase \u201cI know we all want to have a happy time together and it would be great to work out how we can do that\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1. Schedule Ahead of Time<\/strong><\/p>\n Ensure all your social media for the festive period has been scheduled using a platform such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck (which one you use will be dependent upon your preferred choice of social media platform). It\u2019s easy and quick to set up and schedule and once it\u2019s done it means you can keep off social media and win back some quality time. We all know how easy it is to get sucked into what\u2019s going on with other people\u2019s lives and business. These scheduling platforms allow you to live your own life in the here and now!<\/p>\n 2. Go Offline<\/strong><\/p>\n Have times of the day when you switch off your phone, email, social media – or any other application that your smartphone offers you, but that doesn\u2019t really enhance your life, business or well-being in any way. Dare I even suggest it – leave the house without your phone! Try it; it\u2019s liberating. How many times have you been down the park with your children to see parents glued to their phones with little to no interaction at all with their children? Be realistic with your switch off time – after 7pm, up until 12pm. You decide, but be strict with the times you set yourself.<\/p>\n 3. Inform Customers<\/strong><\/p>\n Let your customers know when and what you will be available for, prior to closing down your office. Put your out of office on your email and voicemail – doing this will mean you won\u2019t feel obliged to answer any calls or emails that you don\u2019t want to. It\u2019s surprising how easy we find it to just answer that email quickly at 10pm in the evening or answer a call after 7pm. The more we do this, the more we say to potential customers that it\u2019s acceptable for them to contact us at that time and expect an answer. It\u2019s not.<\/p>\n 4. Start Preparing for Your First Week Back<\/strong><\/p>\n Address any tasks or actions that will need your attention in the first week back before<\/i> you break up for the festivities. The first week back can prey on your mind as a business owner, with the desire to get cracking with plans, implement new ideas, prepare for meetings, proposals etc. If these actions are all dealt with before you break up, you can truly relax knowing all is in hand for your immediate return to business as usual, rather than a mad rush panic to get non-paying stuff done.<\/p>\n 5. Enjoy Your Time Off<\/strong><\/p>\n It sounds obvious, but the festivities are supposed to be fun, so make some plans ahead of the festive period for fun stuff that you want to do with (and without) your family. Wouldn\u2019t it be great to return to work knowing that you\u2019ve really made the most of your time off, you\u2019ve spent quality time with friends and family and you\u2019ve done stuff that you really want to do?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1. Down Tools<\/p>\n For at least a few days between Christmas and New Year, make sure that you take time out from work to relax and enjoy your family.<\/p>\n 2. How to Stop<\/strong><\/p>\n Advise your clients that you will be taking some time off and when you will be back – perhaps in a personalised card or Christmas message.<\/p>\n 3. Keep in Touch<\/strong><\/p>\n Even though you are taking time off, you would like your business to work for you. Set up email auto-responders and change voicemail messages, letting anyone who contacts you know when you will be returning to work.<\/p>\n 4. Turn off Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, as hard as it is for most of us, make sure to turn off your technology for at least 2-3 hours in each day you are off.\u00a0 Check messages once and only deal with anything which is URGENT!<\/p>\n 5. It’s Now Your Time\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Relax, enjoy and have fun with your friends and family – it is one time in the year you have worked towards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1. Time is Short – Delegate<\/strong><\/p>\n When you\u2019re running your own business it can be really tough to fit everything in. Delegate tasks you don\u2019t need to do yourself. Find a VA, or use TaskRabbit<\/a> to wrap presents.<\/p>\n 2. Schedule Time with Family and Friends<\/strong><\/p>\n Schedule time to see your friends and family over Christmas – don\u2019t cancel those parties and gatherings because of work.<\/p>\n 3. Take Regular Short Breaks<\/strong><\/p>\n Especially over Christmas when there are plenty of distractions and good food around \u2013 take plenty of short breaks, so that when you do sit down to do any work you are much more productive.<\/p>\n 4. Investigate Ways to Work Smarter<\/strong><\/p>\n Before the New Year, schedule a couple of hours in to plan how you can work smarter in the year ahead. Here are some apps I would recommend:<\/p>\n – KeePass<\/a> is a way to store your passwords<\/p>\n – Pocket<\/a> and Flipboard<\/a> are great for curating all the news sites you want to read<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s all about being in the moment. I mean really<\/i> being in it and giving it your 100% focus. So, finish your e-mails on Christmas Eve and don\u2019t be on your phone over Christmas dinner. If you are focussing on work during family time, it sends the wrong message to your children about what is more important to you.<\/p>\n
\nEveryone knows that Christmas is one of the most manic times of the year, so use a diary. Schedule in when it’s your turn to watch a Christmas film with the kids and work around it. By planning effectively, you can head off disasters before they happen. And don\u2019t forget to block out time for just you and your partner \u2013 away from all the cousins and grandparents; just having time as a couple is really important.<\/p>\nDane Cobain, Social Media Specialist at fst<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n
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One of the challenges that I face as a social media marketer is that social media doesn’t stop for Christmas \u2013 in fact, it’s one of the busiest times for brands, as people open their presents and share their thoughts and photos. A little bit of work over the holidays is inevitable, if only to make sure that nothing’s gone wrong, but there’s plenty you can do to prepare yourself beforehand.<\/p>\nBridget Kirsop, Success Coach at One Life-Life Coaching<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n
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1. Set Goals and Write Them Down<\/strong><\/p>\nClare Whalley, Life and Business Coach at Meta4<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n
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\nThe holiday season is a time to do just that; holiday – which means relaxing, switching off and spending quality time with friends and family away from your daily stresses and business related quandaries, challenges and to do lists. It\u2019s really easy in business to create habits that are not actually achieving anything for you except taking your attention and time away from enjoyable activities, which in actual fact make you more productive. Here are some tips to follow so the latter can be achieved when you do return to the office.<\/p>\nHazel Theocharous, Business Coach at Small Business Trainer<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/strong><\/p>\nCharlie Southwell, Co-Founder of Transmute<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n
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