If you’re on LinkedIn at all you probably noticed the series, “50 Big Ideas for 2013.”  This morning I noticed a post by Arianna Huffington from the Huffington Post, “Big Idea 2013: The Year We Prioritize Beating Stress.”  She talks about how special occasions, especially the Holidays cause extra stress in our lives. I had two takeaways from this article: 1. what can we do to de-stress now? and 2. what can we do to de-stress in 2013?  I’m going to tackle the first in this post. 

Remember, employee stresscan cause things like headaches, ulcers, and, in worst cases, heart attacks.  So, keeping employees de-stressed is in your best interests as well.  Sometimes, even a quick reminder can help.  You could easily write something up for an Intranet or newsletter article thanking them for their hard work and reminding them to relax and enjoy the holidays.  Also might be a good time to announce an employee Holiday gift, like a grocery gift card, or an employee ugly sweater contestfor a little fun, which seems to be a popular topic this year.

Don’t forget yourselves!  Plan to leave at a specific time every day, and stick to it so you have enough time to prepare for the Holidays and enjoy that time with family and friends.  If you’re in the office at all during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, spend an afternoon cleaning your desk and going through papers and piles so you can start the New Year fresh.  That’s my plan!

Look for a post on decreasing stress in 2013 soon, and in the meantime… take a deep breath and remember to enjoy this time of year.  Prioritize, stay focused and have fun!

Erica L.

Originally posted at: http://uecubenefit.uecu.org/