Christmas. While the jovial spirit of the festive season is a wonderful thing, there’s no denying that it’s by far the busiest time of the year for many of us. It’s incredibly difficult to find a balance between tying up the loose ends at work before the year is out, the abundance of end-of-year events that expect your attendance or attention, as well as school finishing up for the year if you have children. As a mum of four who works full time – and I’m sure there are a few of you reading this in the exact same position – it can all become overwhelming very quickly. Even at the best of times you feel time-poor, and all the stress rolls up into one big ball, culminating at the end of the year. But it doesn’t have to! If you’re struggling during the mad rush at this time of the year, there are a few nifty time management tips you can use to make life easier.

Take Time to Make Time

While it might seem like you’re constantly chasing the clock – and let’s face it, you probably are! – being relentlessly busy is actually the best reason to set time aside for planning. No matter how manic things seem to be, it’s always worth taking a little time now so that you can make more time for later. When you can, set some time aside to undertake a little work and life admin, even if it’s just half an hour on a Sunday night. Break down your agenda into tasks and address them in the simplest fashion possible: what is the task? Who is doing it? How do you get there? What do you need to achieve?

There are a range of great productivity tools; like Evernote, OneNote, or Google Keep that can help out, but one thing I always do is to set an alarm for myself for the time that I should be going to bed. It’s incredibly easy for time to fly past when you’re trying to solve a number of crises, and all of a sudden you look up at the clock and it’s past midnight! A good night’s sleep is the starting point for success the next day, and my alarm is a great motivator to tell me to wrap something up quickly. Otherwise that precious planning time can all be for naught.

Prioritise Effectively

When you have a lot of different things on, the stress can often build up to the point where it feels like everything needs doing now, and it all feels a bit like the end of the world. It’s all too easy to lose sight of the fact that that isn’t the case. Some tasks will always be more urgent or more important than others, and prioritising these correctly is a key way to save time and stress. Firstly, understand what the negotiables are. Talk to people to figure out their timelines, and set expectations as early as you can to give yourself some leeway.

Another way to assist yourself is prioritising ties back into your planning. When you’re making appointments or putting your schedule together, leave gaps in between each task or meeting that you have on. For one thing, this helps protect you from overlap if things take longer than expected, or if traffic or waiting times get in the way. Secondly, if everything does stay on schedule, you can leverage that buffer time in a number of ways; whether you’re checking emails, planning ahead, or quickly getting a spot of Christmas shopping in.

However, while we’re talking about priorities, it’s good to remind you of the number one priority at this time: your sanity! Christmas is a go-go-go time for everyone, and the pressure that builds during this time can lead to crippling stress, and even depression. Keep in mind that it’s important to take time for yourself and try to take every opportunity you can to do so.

It’s Okay to Say No

One of the reasons that we get ourselves into this bind is because we say yes to things too quickly. Whether it’s out of politeness, duty at work, or genuinely wanting to do it and simply not being able to find the time, accepting to do things reflexively can become a serious issue that builds towards stress. Now, granted, you won’t be able to say no every time that you might want to, and nor is that good advice – especially in the workplace! The key thing here is to keep in mind is that it’s okay to ask for help.

If you’re asked to take on a new task, be transparent about how busy you are rather than trying to fit it into an already-too-tight schedule. Most people will be understanding, and many will try to help you out of the bind by finding someone else who can help them. Alternatively, if you’re the only person capable or qualified to do something, see if you can delegate one of your other responsibilities to somebody else so that you can balance your workload. While saying no can be hard, it’s almost always preferable to decline something early on rather than taking it on and coming up short later.

Summary

Christmas is, as they say, the most wonderful time of the year, but there’s no getting around how busy and stressful it can be too. While there’s no realistic way to eliminate that stress completely, there are things you can do to make your life easier, so even when the pressure makes you feel powerless, just remember that you’re not!

If your job is becoming so stressful that you don’t feel you can get past it, then it might be time for a change. Feel free to get in touch with the team here at Chandler Macleod, and we’ll see how we can help you into a new role for the new year.