TIP OF THE WEEK

 

                                                                    December 17, 2007

Did you know...?        

Problems related to holiday blues take a serious toll on employee productivity - an issue that costs employers millions of dollars every year. 

Many factors can cause the “holiday blues”: stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial constraints, and the inability to be with one’s family and friends.  The demands of shopping, parties, family reunions, and house guests also contribute to feelings of tension.  People who do not become depressed may develop other stress responses, such as:  headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating, and difficulty sleeping.  Even more people experience post-holiday let down after January 1.  This can result from disappointments during the preceding months compounded with the excess fatigue and stress

Common symptoms of "holiday blues" include the following:

 

Employers can ease their workers’ holiday-induced pain.  Encourage employees to consider the following practical tips to combat holiday stressors, a major contributor to holiday blues:

 

Be realistic.   As families change and grow, traditions often change as well.  Hold on to those you can and want to.  But understand in some cases that may no longer be possible.

 

Set differences aside.  Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all your expectations.  Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion.  With stress and activity levels high, the holidays might not be conducive to making quality time for relationships. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry.  Chances are they're feeling the effects of holiday stress too.

 

Stick to a budget.  Before you go shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend on gifts and other items. Then be sure to stick to your budget.

 

Plan ahead.  Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities.  Plan your menus and then make one big food-shopping trip.  Allow extra time for travel so that delays won't worsen your stress.

 

Learn to say no.  Believe it or not, people will understand if you can't do certain projects or activities.  If you say yes only to what you really want to do, you'll avoid feeling resentful and overwhelmed.  If it's really not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

 

Don't abandon healthy habits.  Don't let the holidays become a dietary free-for-all.  Some indulgence is OK, but overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt.  Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks.  Continue to get plenty of sleep and schedule time for physical activity.

 

Take a breather.  Make some time for yourself.  Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do.

 

Forget about perfection.  Holiday TV specials are filled with happy endings. But in real life, people don't usually resolve problems within an hour or two. Something always comes up. Expect and accept imperfections.

 

Seek professional help if you need it.  Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores.  If these feelings last for several weeks, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. You may have depression.

 

When stress is at its peak, it's hard to stop and regroup.  Employees can take steps to help prevent normal holiday depression from progressing into chronic depression.

Coping with holiday-related stress and depression at the workplace is a challenge for employers.  Pressure is part of work and helps to keep us motivated.  But excessive pressure/stress can undermine performance, be costly to employers and can make people ill.  Holiday stress compounds the normal work day stress and can impact not only the affected employee but everyone around them. 

Employers are encouraged to consider the following tips to help reduce stress and depression in the workplace during the holiday season:

 

Reflect on the state of your business in prior holiday seasons.  Review the numbers, your notes and employee absence data to determine if your business has suffered.  Ask yourself the following questions: Were there resource issues due to an increase in employee absence up to the holidays?  Does absence data from prior years show a higher incidence of employees being late or leaving early?

 

Create a Plan.  Mitigate the risk that these issues will reoccur.  If you see a seasonal increase in attendance issues, consider putting attendance incentives in place.  One example, offer a bonus for perfect attendance.

 

Focus employee resources.  People are more productive when they have fewer projects.  Examine business priorities and projects.  Are there certain activities that have higher priority and others that can be put off?

 

Find a healthy balance between holiday work and play.  Manage the frequency of holiday celebrations in the workplace.  Allowing employees to acknowledge the holidays is a wonderful way to boost coworker camaraderie and employee morale.  Too many parties, however, can distract employees from their work and exacerbate holiday burnout.

 

Remember, one key to minimizing holiday stress and depression is knowing that the holidays can trigger stress and depression.  Accept that things aren't always going to go as planned. Then take active steps to manage stress and depression during the holidays. You may actually enjoy the holidays more than you thought you could!

 

OHS-COMPCARE would like to wish you and your family a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

 

 

To learn more about services OHS-COMPCARE has to offer, contact our Client Services Team at (816) 559-6306 or by e-mail at customerservice@ohscompcare.com.  You can also visit us at www.ohscompcare.com.

 

*Please feel free to forward this information to any member of management in your company who would benefit from it.*

 

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