Washington D.C. [USA], Dec 28 : Going by common perception, holidays exist for the very purpose of relaxation after the back to back and tedious working days. However, what current research reveals is quite contrary to this belief.
Shelcy V Joseph writes in an article on the Forbes website that according to a study, 38 per cent of the surveyed people felt that their stress levels skyrocket during the holidays. This can happen for multiple reasons such as work pressure, travel, family gatherings, and the list goes on.
For the ones who find themselves among the stressed-out lot, Microsoft Principal Researcher and Design Strategist, Margaret Price has a few tips and tricks to fix the nagging holiday blues.
Price is known for implementing strategies to enable teams to develop a deeper understanding of people in order to identify the scope for potential growth and innovation. Her on-the-ground experience at Microsoft endowed her with the knowledge pertaining to conflict resolution and stress management.
According to Price, the first priority for anyone feeling worked up in the off days is to take an account of all the pending tasks that are to be dealt with during that time. Looking at the future responsibilities in the face might prove to be a daunting task in the beginning, but listing them down would simplify the whole process. Things get much easier when a person knows what things are to be done and in what order.
Being true to oneself is an absolute necessity to set realistic goals about what can be achieved within a certain period of time. Any attempts to complete every task at once my lead to greater stress levels and eventually a total mental burnout. So it's better to differentiate between the things that need to be addressed immediately and the ones that can be handled later.
Starting the day with making a to-do list can make the day seem easier to get through. As research shows, awareness towards how time is managed helps with stress and makes tiding over responsibilities a lot easier.
Multitasking can play the sneaky saboteur by diverting a person's focus in a hundred different directions. Several apps and tools are available for download that can block unnecessary and distracting alerts and notifications during the hours assigned for work.