Holidays often turn into stressful, hectic and sad instead of joyous times. The American Psychiatric Association reports that two in five Americans say their mood worsens in winter; 29% say “Falling Back” hurts their mental health. Over holiday seasons passed, many workers have experienced difficulty balancing work with personal responsibilities or added financial stress. Holiday stress can dampen the joy and fun of the season, rendering the opposite effect: exhaustion, depression and grief.
Top Reasons For Holiday Stress
Given that the holidays are rapidly approaching, Monster conducted a poll this month to gain deeper insights into how the holiday season affects workers’ well-being and productivity. More than half (53%) say they have more holiday stress than usual, and and about one in five (22%) workers say their overall well being declines.
Workers report six of the top challenging stressors to balance during the holiday season:
- 24% Financial stress
- 20% Time constraints for holiday preparations
- 19% Family commitments
- 17% Lack of time for self-care
- 14% Increased workload
- 5% Travel-related stress
Monster found that work-related holiday stress carries over even when companies are closed for holiday breaks. When employees are not scheduled to work, 41% still check their email every day, and 23% still send work related emails. Given that financial stress is a leading factor impacting many workers during the holidays, it may come as little surprise that one-third (34%) say they will take a second job this season to supplement their income.
How do employees cope with holiday stress? As the season approaches, some employees feel the only way they can get a breather from holiday stress is by sneaking time off—a trend experts call “Hushed Holidays.” For others, holiday stress leads to “food noise”—constant internal chatter about food, which can contribute to overeating during the season.
How Employees And Employers Can Reduce Holiday Stress
Instead of putting the workforce in positions where they must resort to unhealthy measures to mitigate holiday stress, employers can help to alleviate the seasonal pressures. I spoke by email with Vicki Salemi, Monster career expert, on things that employers and employees can do to mitigate holiday stress.
- Employers can offer additional time off. “Employers can help alleviate stress by offering additional time off,” Salemi told me. “Many employers have made it the norm to close their offices the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.” She goes on to say that this is a step in the right direction, considering more than half of workers say they are more stressed than usual during the holiday season. She adds that this perk also helps employees feel they’re valued by employers to hopefully spend more quality time with their families and friends and emphasizes striving for a balance as one in five workers indicate their overall well-being declines during the holiday season.
- Employers can be flexible. Salemi notes that many workers are strapped for time, underscoring that 20% report time constraints for holiday preparations leading up to the holidays. “Employers may want to be more flexible for employees—both schedules and where work is done (perhaps offer more remote arrangements during the month of December),” she suggests.
- Employers can lead by example. “When a leader takes PTO and is officially out of the office, not checking/responding to messages, etc. especially before the holidays, it sends the message to workers that they, too should take time off and not feel pressure to be tethered to work 24/7,” Salemi points out.
- Employers can offer financial and mental health counseling support. Salemi cites that 24% of respondents say they feel financial stress (one in four people). If employers already provide this support, she believes they should remind workers of the available services.
- Employees can help alleviate holiday stress by being proactive. “Don’t wait for your employer to offer more flexible work arrangements or remind you of services available, etc.” Salemi advises. “Take a breath. Evaluate your situation. What would be most helpful during the holidays to alleviate stress, time constraints, family commitments and lack of time for self-care? Speak to your boss if there are short-term solutions such as changing your hours (maybe seven to three p.m. is more productive and efficient for you than nine to five), eliminating some meetings that can be resolved over email instead, as an example.”
- Employees can prioritize self-care. “This can be as simple as breaking away from your desk during lunchtime to go for a brisk walk outside.” Salemi states. “Start each day meditating or creating a gratitude list. Hit the pause button. It’s so easy to get caught up in the holiday frenzy (especially now — even before Thanksgiving holidays feel like they’re starting earlier this year), especially if your workload increases this time of year.”
- Employees can be meticulous about planning ahead. “Plan everything as best you can such as your workload with deadlines, and break it down into small, achievable goals,” Salemi recommends. “This also includes planning ahead for healthy meals, and when you can be active, get some steps in. This also includes scheduling downtime in your calendar. Prioritize sleep. Keep it simple: plan ahead, focus on nutrition, exercise, water and sleep.”
- Employees might consider a new job. According to the poll, one-third of workers say they’re going to take a second job this holiday season to supplement their income. But Salemi suggests that workers alleviate holiday stress by making a plan to look for a new job. “If you’re super stressed about making ends meet on top of the holidays which can add another level to your stress, dig into the root of the issue,” she declares. “You may feel too stressed and overwhelmed to start looking for a new job on top of everything already on your plate, but it is possible. Pursue it in small steps; schedule 30 minutes on your calendar daily. Revise your resume, set up job alerts, start applying to jobs. Plant seeds now, determine your worth, start looking for new full-time jobs that pay you top dollar.”
Finding a new job or a side hustle to earn extra money during the season won’t necessarily reduce holiday stress. In fact, it could exacerbate it. But if that’s a tactic you want to take, Salemi suggests you make it worth your while like working for an employer that offers perks such as discounts so you can do all of your shopping there. “This can hopefully alleviate some stress,” she proposes. “It can also help streamline your time—be efficient with your time as best you can, but again, hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy the holidays as a special time to finally unplug while surrounded by your loved ones instead of being burned out by work and stress.”