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How To Reduce Your Holiday Stress

Guest post by: Clare Evans

Article Overview: Holidays can be one of the more stressful times of the year - planes to catch, traffic jams, delays, change from the normal routine… Here are a few tips on making the most of your holiday.

How To Reduce Your Holiday Stress

Holidays can be one of the more stressful times of the year - planes to catch, traffic jams, delays, change from the normal routine… Here are a few tips on making the most of your holiday:

Planning. To help the planning process and avoid a last minute rush, create a checklist of what needs to be done and what you need to take, well ahead of time. Nearer the time, put everything out as you think of it to save that last minute rushing around trying to find things - especially important things like your passport, money and tickets.

Paperwork. Postcards are a good way to stay in touch or make contact with friends. Print off the names and addresses you need on a sheet of labels to take with you. Saves time writing them all out by hand.

Have a photocopy of your passport and credit cards in the unfortunate event they get stolen and don't forget your insurance documents. It can be useful to have a copy of these accessible online - in your mail system or online (secure) file sharing.

Packing OK, let's face it, men are probably better at this than women. Not necessarily at the getting organised bit but not taking as much. You don't need to pack everything including the kitchen sink. Inevitably you won't wear everything you take with you anyway

If you're going somewhere warm and sunny you're likely to be in shorts, t-shirts and swimwear for most of the time. You're on holiday, so your best bib and tucker is probably not an essential item. Lay everything out that you plan to take, then halve it! Think capsule - what goes with what. Dress up daytime wear for the evening with a few accessories.

Stay positive. When travelling, if things don't go according to plan, stay calm. What can you do about the situation? Something? Nothing? It may not be an ideal situation but take a deep breath, be patient and relax.

Look on the positive side. Remember - there's always someone far worse off than you and keep things in perspective.

Leave work at work. Switch off the mobile phone and leave the laptop at home. You're on holiday. Take time to tie up any work issues before you go on holiday.

A little forward thinking and planning will ensure you can walk away from work and the place won't collapse without you. When it comes down to it - you're probably not as indispensable as you think you are.

Delegate work and decisions to someone while you're away. If you're worrying about what's going on back at the office, you're not going to be able to relax properly.

If you really must keep up with work - limit the interruption. Make the necessary phone call, send the email and then switch off.

Make sure your priority is the people you're with and not the people in the office.

Thinking time. When you're away from your usual environment it's sometimes easier to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Take time to think about where you are and where you'd like to be.

What would you like to be doing differently by this time next year? Change jobs, move house, spend more time with the family?

People often make life changing decisions after a holiday because they've had time to reflect. Make a note of what you'd like to change and take steps when you get back to make it happen.

Enjoy a relaxing and re-energizing break.

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Article Tags: annual break, clare evans, holiday stress, planning, vacation



Related Forum Posts
Re: Moderators on vacation - This moderator is not going on Holiday. I am here
Re: Vacation for Evan - Have a Happy Holiday and have fun!
Re: Infographic: The 4 Main Stress Factors - I'd like to reference that article in my next blog post as well.. I worked in sales for years and found that days when I was positive, relaxed where days that it was easy to sell. On days that I was stressed I found I would not reach target. Stress is good at times, but it very easily becomes problematic. I do a lot of very physical exercise and work now, to manage it.
Office gifts,help settle this one... - Ok- I wasn't sure where to post this, so I just stuck it in the forum I moderate. I think I've mentioned before that I work a full time job (outside of my home businesses), in a business financial brokerage. that being said, see if you can settle this one- Every year during December Holiday time, we receive gift baskets in the office from the banks/ Lenders we work with. My boss, although very generous all year long, will take most of the gift baskets home for he and his family. I'm talking a heck of a lot of gift baskets! My view on this is that when a gift basket is sent to an office, it should be enjoyed by everyone because we all work as a team equally as hard. We (the staff) believe that although most of the baskets are addressed to our boss, they are meant for "the office" because last year one of the lenders found out that my boss took it home (our office manager blew the whistle there) and the bank got upset and sent another one just for the staff! What is everyone's take on this, does he have the right to take it all home and "hog" the gift? If it happens again this year, should something be mentioned to him and if so, what/how?


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