Avoid Burnout over the Festive Season

I am a professional writer and editor with a passion for creative writing. With a marketing background, I love playing with language to deliver powerful messages and tell brands’ stories in an engaging way. I am a keen advocate for children’s reading and nurturing a love of books from an early age. Follow me on Twitter @MelBrannlund or email me at [email protected]

---

5 Tips to Avoid Burnout over the Festive Season

Life gets pretty hectic in the run-up to Christmas - between juggling work, family life, and organising everything for the festive period, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed with little time for yourself. Here’s 5 top tips for avoiding burnout over the festive season.

1. Schedule in some social time for yourself
With visiting family and organising everything at home for Christmas, it can feel like all your time and energy is spent on looking after everyone else. Make some time to catch up with friends you haven’t seen for a while, to go for a coffee, meet for a walk, or just have a chat. Sometimes having a laugh and putting the world to rights with a friend is all the remedy you need to restore your positivity!


2. Pamper and pause
Family life can get busy and noisy, leaving you feeling frazzled. Factor in the lack of sunshine and cold, gloomy weather at this time of year, and your physical and mental health can really take a dive. Hit the pause button on life and give yourself some quiet, calm, self-care time - whether that’s having a long soak in the bath, booking a spa day, setting aside some time for yoga and meditation, or having a pampering session at home.

3. Digital detox
With constant noise and pictures everywhere you turn - from TV and computer screens, to mobile devices, to children’s toys - you may feel your energy levels drained and your mind unable to switch off at night. Set some boundaries for the amount of screen time you have, just as you would with your children. If possible, give yourself set days or times over the Christmas break where your phone is turned off (or at least left in another room) to give yourself a proper digital detox.

4. Spend some time outdoors
When it’s cold and dark, it can be hard to find the motivation to get outside and get moving. But getting out for some fresh air amongst nature can be the perfect tonic when you’re feeling stressed and tired out. If not every day, try and get out a few times a week, even if it’s only for a short walk around the block - you’ll come back refreshed and calmer for it!

5. Set healthy boundaries
Saying ‘no’ is something many of us struggle with. But you can’t please everyone all of the time - trying to do so and saying ‘yes’ to social events or helping other people out when you already have too much on your plate will quickly lead to you feeling exhausted, run-down, and even resentful. Prioritise what you really need to do, and realistically can do in the time you have, and don’t be afraid to say no to people - your health and wellbeing should come first! As the saying goes, you cannot fill others from an empty cup, so be sure to fill yours first before giving all of your time and energy to others.

We hope these tips will help you feel calm and replenished over the festive season, and ready to face all the new adventures that 2022 brings!

Look out for Melissa's latest articles on Anita Frost's author website, where she'll talk about topics including business and publishing, author news and events, and giving back to communities. You can find her in-depth monthly feature on the News & Media page of the Green Bean Collection website, discussing children's books and reading, early years education, living a greener lifestyle and all things Green Bean!