Congratulations - you’ve (almost) made it through another year! The budget for next year is (hopefully) set and all you have to do is get through what is supposed to be the happiest time of the year. Sounds easy, right? Wrong.

• In 2006, 69% of people were stressed by “lack of time” during the holidays (American Psychological Association Poll)...and it’s only gotten worse.

• According to The American Institute of Stress, “75% of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago.”

• In 2017, only 48% of Americans used their vacation time...Leaving more than half of employees over-worked and deprived of necessary rest.

Tight timelines can negatively impact personal relationships and lifestyle choices which ultimately bleeds back into work productivity. 

No one is Superman - you don’t have to worry about doing it all, but you can make the improvements towards finding the right balance using these tips: 

Tip #1 - Define your absolute values…and use them to set boundaries. 

What are the things in your personal life that are set in stone? For Jeff Hilimire, CEO of Dragon Army and author of “The 5-Day Turnaround,” his core values are family, Dragon Army, and doing good. Deciding what to spend time on is easier when there are strict boundaries and goals established.

If attending a networking event on a “free” night does not serve or benefit the higher goal in some shape or form, then it is okay to say “no.” With the holidays coming up, there will be plenty of parties...prioritize which ones to attend to save time.

Ted Wright, CEO of Fizz, defines his values plain and simple:

1. Give up everything besides family and work.

2. Use tech for connecting not interrupting.  

3. Live the words of Master Yoda - "Do or do not, there is no try".

Tip # 2 - Communicate and enforce boundaries.

It is hard to draw the line between work and play in the digital world where everyone is accessible 24/7. Setting boundaries and communicating them is important - especially during allotted vacation time. To avoid work-life balance issues, you have a responsibility to communicate and enforce your boundaries to clients, co-workers, and employers. 

If you are going on vacation or out of the office, communicate whether or not you are limiting technological use. Drew Hawkins, the Director of Digital Marketing at Womble Bond Dickinson, included, “I have time blocks when I am responsive to emails. Not just during Q4, but pretty much year round. That way I still have solid boundaries, no matter what time of the year. I've learned that clients/teammates are cool with your response times and boundaries as long as they are consistent.” 

Using tools like Calendly and Google Calendar will notify when you have free time to set up meetings with clients or co-workers. 

Tip #3 - Acknowledge what excessive stress does to you both in and out of the office.

People often find a purpose in work and get lost in it - but ignoring mental or physical health issues is a problem. Beyond that, excessive stress impacts you in the office as well. It is okay to take time to rest so that you can get back to fully functioning at 100% efficiency. 

According to Sandra Dalton-Smith, a physician and author who recently spoke at TedxAtlanta, there are many kinds of rest that people require - not just sleep after a physically taxing day. Outside of physical rest, Sandra outlines six additional kinds of rest:

• Mental - After a long day of strategic thinking, it’s important to give your mind a break. 

• Sensory - Staring at a computer or phone all day can be taxing on the brain. Make sure to take time alone - away from the office sales calls, rigorous work load, and blue light from screens. 

• Creative - Brainstorming creative campaigns is creatively taxing. A form of rest may be visiting an art gallery or tapping into some child-like wonder. 

• Social - It’s important to surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you and regenerate your spirits. Sometimes socializing can be taxing, especially after networking at events or trade shows. Find a break from the constant buzzing by taking a night off or hanging out with a group of people who you don’t need to be “on” around. 

• Emotional - High stress can lead to high emotions. Take a deep breath or meditate. Lend yourself to a spare moment to breathe and gather yourself. 

• Spiritual - People find purpose in routine. Do something out of the dedicated routine to engage in something new and different. 

By identifying which rest you are deficient in, you can assess what your body and brain needs to return to maximum capacity. That Slack response can wait for you to catch your breath. 

Tip #4 - Organize your time. 

Christien Louviere, an Advisor to Chief Revenue Officers, recommends to write down an ideal daily schedule. “Then stick to it as best as possible,” he shares. “Every 30-90 days assess processes to see if you can optimize, automate or innovate your workflow.” 

If it seems like there is not enough time in the day, then organizing the day’s time into a calendar will address all the necessities. Just like sleep and eating is necessary, so is exercise. Plotting time to take care of the body physically and socially outside of work is important. 

Bill Robertson, the Co-founder and Director of Development at Weathervane Music, shared that he has untouchable blocks of personal/family time saying, “It forces me to take the other time very seriously and increases efficiency.”

Katharine Mobley, the Global CMO of First Advantage, organizes her time by blocking non-negotiable dates a year in advance. She then plans accordingly for work: strategic planning, off-sites, budget negotiations, and global travel. Katharine stated that she plans everything on her calendar months, quarters, and years in advance.

“The key is to set your non-negotiable dates well in advance. And I don’t attend many holiday parties except those most important to our family life as I will have ample time when the boys are grown and flown,” she says.

When priorities and values are established, it is much easier to plan ahead. 

Tip #5 - Start small before sweating the big stuff. 

No one becomes Superman in one day. In order to effectively manage time, it will take practice…so be patient with yourself. Balance depends on the individual - what works for one person might not for someone else.  

Starting small could mean setting ten minutes aside to do breathing exercises in the car, taking one day off just to break up the week, or taking a lunch break to see a friend…these small moments can feed into the larger need. 

Lofty goals from the beginning lead to inevitable disappointment, which only reinforces stress. Setting reasonable goals helps people avoid discouragement. That way, achievement is about incremental progress. This mindset is self-reinforcing - take action now, but be realistic about what that action should look like.

Tip #6 - A tip for the managers: Change requires leadership intervention.

An employee can communicate their need for rest all they want, but no one can solely change an organization’s culture. 

In a Unum/DMEC survey, “61% of respondents felt that there's a social stigma in the workplace toward colleagues with mental health issues.” As mental health becomes a larger issue in the United States and employees fail to take advantage of designated vacation time, it is vital that employees and employers alike work towards a more feasible work life balance situation - especially during the holidays. 

Managers must encourage employees to draw the lines between working and personal time, invite open communication, and set examples for a healthy work and life balance. Some organizations don’t believe in sending work emails after work hours, for example. 

It is a manager’s job to ensure the success of their employees. A happier employee is a more effective employee and will most likely remain loyal to the company due to their job satisfaction. 

Business News Daily interviewed the CEO of Amplio Recruiting, Chris Chancey, who stated that, “Employers who are committed to providing environments that support work-life balance for their employees can save on costs, experience fewer cases of absenteeism, and enjoy a more loyal and productive workforce." 

Read related - Crafting a Productive Marketer

Preparing for the new year is a stressful time, especially if you don’t have the proper resources. There is no need to add more stress to your to-do list. Setup offers an array of resources that range from helping marketers find a new marketing agency to developing a marketing brief or budgeting template.

The resources are available for download here.