It is often around this time of the year that you start to feel like you’re on a treadmill doing a 90 degree climb. Family and friends are planning end of year holidays, the weather is getting warmer and you want to be outside, working less and playing more. That, compounded by 18 months of a global pandemic and varying degrees of mental strain and it’s no surprise that employees may feel exhausted, fatigued and unmotivated right now.
But the festive season break is around the corner and now is not the time to compromise your employment. It’s time for that end of year professional push before a much needed holiday. Easier said than done, we know. Try these to help stay focused:
Plan and prioritise: as the holidays begin to approach, you may realise there is a lot you still need to accomplish before the year is out. Are you on track to meet your sales target? Are you mapping to your client’s expectations for the last few weeks of the year? Now is the time to assess those tasks and get them done. Nothing ruins that eventual holiday like having to work through it or coming back to a mountain of deliverables. Use this time to plot your next steps and work your way through your to-do list. It will make getting to the end of the year all the sweeter when you finally log off.
Mental well-being check: now is a good time to check in with yourself and how you are coping. Lockdowns, isolation, and learning to work remotely had a noticeable impact on our mental wellness. If you are feeling mentally fatigued, anxious and not yourself, look into your company’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) if you haven’t yet or reach out to your manager so they are aware. You don’t have to struggle alone at a time of year when it’s already hard to get through the work day.
Vacay on the weekend: sitting in mid November thinking about December might feel like that end of year break is in a galaxy far away but don’t think like that. Work hard week on week and enjoy your weekends. There’s no reason you can’t add a little ‘vacay’ to the weekend either. Spending time outside, going for a picnic and doing fun things on the weekend makes the weeks between now and the office shut down manageable.
As an employer here are some ideas as well to keep your team motivated and focused.
Empathise: as an employer you are just as excited for a break at the end of the year. Be honest with your team. Communicate that you too understand that end of year fatigue and motivate everyone to give that last 100% push.
Delay the festivities: offering employees something to look forward to helps manage the end of year lull. Plan your end of year festive function closer to shutdown. Hosting it in early November could get your team into holiday mode sooner than you would like.
Offer support: the best thing you could do as an employer right now is offer your people the support they need. Whether it’s reminding everyone about the company EAP or having an open door policy to lend a supportive ear, showing you care will go a long way.
If you would like more advice and support keeping your people motivated as we head towards the festive season, get in touch with us today.