How to make the most of your time off and say farewell to 2022 with ease.
Can anyone else relate to this photo?
If you’re feeling stressed, excited or crawling to the end of the year (or all three), you’re not alone. Everyone I’ve spoken to lately has been using words like ‘exhausted’, ‘ready to flop’ or ‘desperate for a break’.
Here's how to make the most of your time off and make it to the end of the year with ease.
1 Plan some time for REAL rest and relaxation
If you’re taking some time to rest and recharge, make it count! Some research-backed ways to actually recharge this holiday season might seem simple, but you may need to be intentional about it.
Don’t:
Work on your holiday (even checking emails). Put your out of office on and stick to that, even if it means removing your email from your phone or putting your computer somewhere you can’t see it
Spend all your time on screens
Be afraid to take some time away from children, extended family or say no to situations you don’t find restorative (if you can)
Put yourself in chaotic environments if you don’t have to
Do:
Get into nature, preferably a type that you love (beach, trees, mountains)
Do something different to your normal routine if you can
Take it slow with whatever you’re doing (literally slow down your walking, or your travel times)
Practice doing nothing (ie: lying by a body of water, reading, walks, casual sightseeing)
You can read more about these strategies at this link.
2 Look after your mind & body - complete the stress cycle:
You might have seen I posted about how to complete the stress cycle. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a read.
You’ve probably worked hard all year creating good habits. Maybe it’s reducing your time on social media, getting into a good sleep pattern or eating well. Don’t stop now!
Looking after yourself is the best use of your time, it allows you to be present for family and friends, and see out 2022 well.
3 Prioritise in four steps:
I love this phrase: “If everything is important, nothing is important”. Right now it can feel like so many things are important, and we can overload our 'to do' list and feel disappointed when we can't do them all.
Essentially you want to work out what needs to be done today and what can be scheduled, delegated or dropped (!). I often use the Eisenhower urgent/important matrix.
4 Done is better than perfect, reduce your mental load and lower your expectations:
Once you’ve decided what’s actually important, reduce your mental load (the organising, list making and juggling). One of the Yes Get It values is ‘progress over perfection’. Closely related is ‘done is better than perfect’.
At this time of year I think I need to find the perfect gift, wear the perfect outfit or write the perfect card/text/email. You can’t do it all perfectly because it's impossible! Take time to decide what ‘good’ looks like and lower your expectations of yourself and others.
Here's what I'm doing (going from ‘perfect’ to ‘good’):
Buying treats to bring to a gathering, rather than making something from scratch
Getting in a 20-min walk when I can, rather than beating myself up about not having longer
Doing 15 mins of a fast clean rather than a ‘perfect’ one
Buying, making and re-gifting pretty good presents, rather than perfect ones
Suggesting a walk & talk on the phone, rather than an in-person catch up
Artfully saying no to things that I can't take on, or letting people know I can only stay for X amount of time at a party
There are lots of other great things that also help - reflection, meditation, practicing gratitude. I'd love to hear what works for you.
I hope you have a healthy & happy festive season. Thanks for a cracker of a year (in more ways than one!). I'm excited for what 2023 will bring for us all.
You've got this,
Helen
Thank you and farewell 2022!
