Holidays at the Office: How Men Can Manage the Stress of the Season

Festivities bring cheer but also stress. From balancing deadlines, celebrations, and personal commitments holidays at the office can be challenging. Learn how to stay productive and stress-free.

When it’s not the most wonderful time of year at work.

Key Points

• Many Americans find the holidays to be stressful, especially given pressure to celebrate and spend.
• Workplace dynamics during the holidays can be complicated, involving office politics and personal emotions.
• Remember that many people struggle with this time of year, and your own feelings are not unusual or wrong.

The holidays can be hard. And for some, they aren’t even a holiday at all. Whether this time of year separates you from loved ones, reminds you of those you have lost, or Christmas simply isn’t a day you celebrate, it can be a downright exhausting time of year.

If you work in a corporate environment or elsewhere, you can be fatigued by the holiday music, Christmas present chatter, and generally seasonal “volume” of this time of year.

Holidays at the Office? Work-Based Holiday Celebrations Can Be Particularly Stressful

Use work as respite, if it is. If going to work offers you a distraction from the holiday season, there’s nothing wrong with that. You might get occasional questions about travel plans or light joking if you are still hunkered down on a Friday night. But it’s easy enough to say you want to get a jump start on things. Or remind people that you don’t celebrate the holiday.

If you have personal reasons for struggling through the holidays, you decide how much to share with colleagues. A light but audible, “Sometimes the holidays can get a little tough for me,” should be enough.

Work remotely if being out of the office is easier. With the surge in remote and hybrid working, this might be the easiest solution if your workplace leans into the holiday season.

Choose which work-related holiday events make sense for you. The truth is, politics at the office matter. And being social and relatable is an important part of that. If you are a team leader, you will probably have more pressure to participate in holiday activities.

Your holiday stress is widespread: you are not alone. Remember also that you are very likely not the only one struggling with the holidays.

Use Time at Home to De-Stress and Revive During the Holidays Stress

Time at home, if spent recharging, can help you remain productive—and pleasant—at work. No matter what steps you take at work to distance yourself from the holidays, it won’t be possible to ignore the season entirely.

Reduce your intake of television and social media. The reality is that the Christmas season is the largest retail period of the year, and for many, a deeply religious event.

Your holiday season might not be the most wonderful time of the year, but you can find some peace and joy in your own private space.

How do you deal with holiday work stress? Tell your hacks and ideas in the comments below!

Written by Robert Kovach Ph.D.
Originally appeared on: Psychology Today