4 Ways to Take on the Holiday Season like a PRo

The weather is cold, the stores are packed with shoppers, and you are well on your way to finalizing the dinner menu while figuring out what you’re going to get dear Aunt Nadine for the family gift exchange this year. ‘Tis the season, right?

But your client has an event this week, you have a presentation due right after Christmas, and two other accounts are having ongoing crises. What can you do to keep your holiday spirit alive and still tackle everything that needs to get done, both inside and outside of the office? Why, you call upon the power of Christmas, of course!

When balancing work life and personal life things can get hectic, especially with the extra holiday events and shopping to be done. This is my first holiday season with a full-time job (instead of being a full-time student with two part-time jobs and a few days off in between), so I am learning how to balance my responsibilities throughout the week. Last year, I could get all my shopping done after a 10 a.m. class on a Tuesday to avoid the crazy crowds. This year, it’s a whole new ballgame and I’ve picked up a few helpful tips along the way. Here is how I’m keeping the spirit of the holidays alive while crushing my work and personal to-do lists:

1. Play Christmas music at your desk. If you are someone who loves playing music in the background while you work, it’s time to switch your usual station over to the holiday classics and jam out, seasonally! Music keeps me focused and energized, and helps elevate my mood. Whether I’m jonesing for some easy listening music, country, or classical, holiday songs are always fun and cheery and can pull you through drafting that statement or building that media list. Plus, you can never go wrong with a little Bing Crosby or Sinatra during your day.

2. Purchase gifts on your lunch break. Sometimes, the best thing to do when you are overwhelmed or cannot think straight is to step away from one to-do list and tackle another. Everyone needs a break here and there, so instead of stepping away from your desk to sit and do nothing but eat lunch, use your lunch break to get in a nice walk around the store and pick up those last-minute gifts. I’m sure your brain (and your holiday anxiety) will appreciate the time you saved during the day, so you can go home and relax at night.

3. Wrap your gifts while watching the nightly news. Just kidding! You don’t have much time to relax at night during the holidays because you are busy wrapping the gifts. But, you can keep PR in mind as you wrap the gifts by watching the news. Talk about multi-tasking! You are keeping up on everything going on, both locally and nationally, while actively listening to the news and accomplishing that dreaded wrapping process ahead of you. Once your wrapping is done, you’ll have a clear head to focus on work the next day instead of thinking about all the wrapping you’ll have waiting for you at home. And an extra 10 points to you for keeping your cat off the wrapping paper. Be careful of the bag of bows too; cats love bows, ribbon, and basically anything shiny.

4. Set your New Year’s resolutions. Setting your resolutions before the new year is a great way to set your mind forward and get your work priorities set while celebrating the season. Maybe you want to learn something new next year. Maybe you want to strengthen your writing, or ask more questions. Maybe your goal is to start projects earlier and turn them in faster. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ve decided you need to prepare for the holiday season a lot earlier than you did this year to keep your work flow uninterrupted next season. But don’t worry, I’m sure Aunt Nadine will love those festive socks you got her. It’s the thought that counts, I promise.

Have any tips for accomplishing everything during the holidays? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.