It makes sense to take time off at Christmas. We want to spend time with our families, and celebrate another year and our accomplishments.

And, at the darkest time of the year, nature is telling us to slow down, rest, and go within. So, yes, some time off can help to give us some time to de-stress.
But do you spend the time rushing to finish shopping, keep the kids entertained and dreading the big family events?

Even if you take off to the beach and avoid the chaos of Christmas, how long do you stay energized after your vacation? A few days or weeks?

If you're dreading that first day back, it may be because you go back to the same routine that caused your stress and burnout in the first place. 

Taking a vacation, no matter what time of the year, can help you unwind, but it won’t solve the root of the problem if you don’t change your behaviour after the rest.

I used to power through the year, counting the days to my vacation. The time off would give me some reprieve, but then I would go back to the office with the same high standards, firefighting, and competitiveness as before. I'd have energy for the first few days and then realize that I was in for another few months of long hours and sacrifice.

A vacation was not the answer.

When I acknowledged my contribution to my busyness, I started to calm down. I witnessed when I set unnecessarily high standards, beat myself up for not achieving them, put everyone else first and took too much responsibility for everything happening around me.

It was not the workload, my boss or my team that was causing my busyness. It was me.

And no amount of rest and relaxation could solve it until I changed my behaviour.

If this resonates, my wish for you is that you to take some time just for you over the next few weeks. Some of it should definitely be for resting, but I also suggest taking time to reflect on your busyness.

Ask yourself, what are the ways you might be contributing to your stress and what are your beliefs about busyness.

The answers might surprise you.

So, are you going dread that first day back in January? Spend the next few months pushing through, sacrificing and burning out so that you can spend your next vacation exhausted?

Or, are you ready to start taking control of your workdays, feel calmer and more energized?

If you do only one thing in these last few weeks of the year, set an intention to reflect on your current ways of working and your beliefs about them.

If you think you might need some help with this, click here to set up a chat with me (there is no charge for this discovery call to see if I can help you).

Until then, I wish you a restful and intentional holiday season.