US research suggests that people who take holidays, return feeling healthier and psychologically more robust; this is good for their well-being and family relationships. Being away from the usual responsibilities of life, the hassle of work and routine, increases the mind ability to wander and reflect. A holiday offer us the chance to recharge our batteries, save us from work burnout, inspire our creativity and relieve the stress; so that when we do come back to work we’ll have a sharper mind with better focus.
Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University confirms
“People who fail to go on holiday are more likely to become anxious, aggressive and withdrawn… Over-working depresses your immune system…; an employee who has not been on holiday will become less productive and more prone to mistakes… Workers really should take a break every few months otherwise they will burn out, which is bad for them and their employer.”
(Guardian News and Media Limited 2014)
The time is flying so fast… especially when we are busy or immersed in a piece of work or a project for many weeks. However absorbed or in demand we become, it’s important to have proper rest; to re-charge, to re-fresh and to re-focus. Nobody is capable of keeping high level of concentration indefinitely. Without proper rest it’s only a matter of time before things start to slip, errors will be made and performance compromised. That’s no good to anyone.
However, while we are lazily lounging on the sunny beaches, sipping our favourite cocktails, our colleagues are charged with the task of picking-up where we’ve left off. Projects need to be delivered, jobs need to be completed and the office must cope with enquiries, sales, delivery, customer service and complaints, cash flow management, HR, and so on.
It is not an easy task to assure a successful completion of the essential work without straining a team that may already be burdened.
While Holidays are good and a necessity for one, at the same time can place further pressure on other team members, increasing the chances of stress and anxiety; therefore managers need to implement effective strategies for managing such workloads.
Here we have a few little tips which we believe can help you avoid the over-working which according to researchers will ultimately make you feel anxious, withdrawn or even aggressive.
– Allow yourself to become over stressed and you will quickly lose sight of your goals. The easiest way to address stress is to stop it before it occurs. Remaining calm will increase your ability to think clearly; you will be able to formulate plans and processes to help reduce the work burden with ease. Just Relax.
– You have to make sure that the most important tasks are moved to the top of your to-do list. By prioritising you can ensure that the most urgent deliverables are achievable. Planning, preparation and scheduling will ensure that you understand what is required and help you stay on course.
– Set expectations and don’t over-commit! Setting deadlines will help you prioritise jobs and allow you move towards that goal in a control manner. Without deadlines in place confusion can set in and jobs may be neglected.
– Make good use of whatever resources are available at the time and share the load. This should save individuals from taking on the majority of the burden.
– Establish a healthy work-life balance. Doing so will provide you with the enthusiasm and drive you need to enjoy your work and help you achieve those professional goals.
– Bringing on an extra set of hands for even a couple of days per week can help departments manage their most critical tasks. This will help to ensure that initiatives progress and deadlines are met, even when key contributors are out of the office.
Happy Holiday 🙂
Damian Budny is a Creative Thinker and Web Developer at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
