4 tips to handle pre-Christmas work stress

Christmas should be a time of peace, joy and love. However, if you’re not a child with endless holidays and gifts to look forward to, the lead up to this holiday can be a stressful time of year. Financial pressures from debts, gifts and celebrations tend to increase at this time. Family gatherings (or lack thereof) can lead to unhealthy anxiety, loneliness or conflict. To add to the mounting social pressures, work pressures accumulate as New Year deadlines approach.



The mental health (and general wellbeing) of you and your team is vital to ensure you are able to contribute creatively and productively. It is also important to to get through difficult times where your efforts and output (and let’s not forget satisfaction) may suffer.

Here are 4 tips to motivate you and your team to safeguard general mental health at this time of year:

1.    Keep an eye out for red flags 

While it is normal to experience a degree of pressure and frustration at this time of year, it’s important to note when this may become a larger problem. If a colleague (or yourself) appears sleep deprived, aggressive, anti-social, distracted or negative, this may be a sign that the stress is getting to them and their work.
If you see someone acting out of character for a long period of time, let them know you’ve noticed that they’ve seemed a bit down and ask them how things are going. It’s normal to feel the need to seek support at these times so don’t hesitate in speaking up and finding help where you can if you feel overwhelmed.

2.    Review workloads

Stress occurs when our demands exceed our resources. Quite simply, you may not have enough time or the resources to get the job done. Pay close attention to whether your efforts are sloppy or are being completed late, as this may occur due to under-staffing and over-loading rather than a lack of enthusiasm or competence. Communicate these concerns with the team and where necessary, give clients advance notice that deadlines may alter during a resource-restricted period.

3.    Say thank you

It cannot be overstated – a simple word of appreciation can motivate and encourage anyone. You don’t need to organise an elaborate event to thank work colleagues, as genuine personal encouragement can be enough to brighten their day. If you feel this is a little out of your hands, talk with your employer about your concerns over general stress levels and that their candid feedback and support could really help.

4.     Make a grand example

If you feel yourself nearing burnt out, it will be difficult to ensure that others around you do not follow suit. Take some time to rest, spend time with family and engage in relaxing activities. Seek professional advice if needed and take some time over the New Year period to evaluate your life goals.



While Christmas is a stressful time of year for many, effective management over communicating with and supporting those around you can have a snowball effective to put the peace, love and joy back into the festive season!