7 Tips for Work-Life Balance During the Holidays

Planning ahead to be organized for the holiday season will ultimately save you time in the long run. You must be diligent to ensure that you stay on task and on schedule, but it can be helpful to break things down into manageable increments to prevent feeling overwhelmed. It is also vital to consider others involved, for they may help or hinder your progress. Keeping up with the to-do list and plan also requires the willingness to know that, despite our best efforts, curve balls can often emerge when we least expect them, but you are more than capable of rerouting and accomplishing all that must be done. What you will find is that curveballs are less daunting when you already have the mindset to be ready. Organization and pre-planning are gifts you give to yourself throughout the entire season.

Wrapping up end-of-year projects and goals can take precedence over opportunities to create lasting memories in our personal lives. This is why it is essential to seek the Lord for His guidance on what you should prioritize in your life. Working and stewarding what has been entrusted to you in your career is a noble thing, and it is no small matter, but there are times when God will move us to rearrange our focus. King Solomon wisely shared in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” 

This includes labor and leisure. Take time to ask the Lord to give you insight as to what His desire is for you to invest your time into this season. When you obey Him, you will find it was the right choice.

Boundaries are for the benefit of all involved, not just the person setting them. Boundaries with work can look like not taking on more than your portion or adhering to set hours. In your private life, it can look like not overcommitting to more than you should or prioritizing quality over quantity in your engagements. Enforcing these boundaries might feel uncomfortable at first, but stand firm in knowing that their purpose is to offer your best self in all areas of your life. This is not merely for the holiday season, but a good practice to adopt in all seasons of life and in all relationships going forward.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Cecilie_Arcurs

Good communication opens the door for others to reciprocate so that all feel respected and heard. This exchange is aided by honestly acknowledging what your capacity is in the given period. Some demands of life will hinder your ability to give your all at work or at home, but the response you receive from those around you can change when they have a fuller picture of what can properly be offered. This also helps you understand what you can expect from others, and it serves to foster a good professional and personal relationship.

“A burden shared is half, and a blessing shared is doubled” is a common sentiment often used to encourage others to share what is going on in their lives, but it holds a great deal of truth. When we lean on others or delegate tasks that need to be accomplished, what we often find is that those who are invited feel important and useful, and they share in the joy of the outcome as well. This is not only at work, but it can also be at home, such as selecting and giving gifts, decorating, or cooking a dish. Sharing is about connecting active experiences with others, and that is a significant part of what makes the holiday season something beautiful.

Screen fatigue is a real issue in today’s fast-paced, always-on world, but you have the choice to unplug. It doesn't need to be for a week or even a day, but taking even thirty minutes to step out for some fresh air can renew and restore your mind and spirit. Taking a breath for silence to collect your thoughts or to simply convene with the Lord offers rest to a weary spirit, and it blesses your relationship with the Lord. 

Romans 8:26-27 reminds us that God can understand our overwhelm, even the groans: “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” 

Taking time to be still with God and to simply be still in the moment will allow you to approach the next moments with purpose and peace.

Especially when it comes to Christmas, the idea of wonder seems to dissipate in adults. Perhaps it is the burden of responsibilities or that we have simply forgotten what it means to have a childlike spirit, but an aspect of holding a proper work-life balance is rejuvenating your sense of wonder. Don’t allow year-end tasks to be meanable; consider what a gift it is to have a job and the skill set to fulfill that position. Stand in awe that you are now in a place that you daydreamed about in your job, even if you are still en route to where you want to be in the future. In your personal life, leave room for reflection; take in all that you have overcome this past year, and all the good things you have experienced. When your sense of wonder is permitted to roam, you find that living in itself is truly a gift.

Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, whatever tasks and asks you are presented with, from work and from life, commit this time to the Lord. He is faithful to bring you wisdom when you ask, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5). God is also faithful to Author profound stories in your life when you give Him the reigns and follow Him rather than follow our own ambitions or logic, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Make it a goal to sit down with the Lord, surrendering your own preferences and plans to Him, and discover that goodness, fruit, wonder, and abundance can be found this holiday season, which includes a healthy work-life balance.