Yes, you can take a breather without neglecting your business. Here’s how to avoid burnout this holiday season.
Hi y’all,
The holiday season is officially here, and most event pros find themselves in one of two camps: either winding down from a busy fall or ramping up for holiday events.
If you’re in the first group, take time to rest for 2025. (70% of meeting pros expect increased budgets next year — good news for corporate events!)
For those ramping up, find small moments to recharge amidst the chaos. Taking time off during busy seasons can feel challenging, but it has significant benefits for productivity, morale, and preventing burnout.
First, talk with your team to best understand how they’ll feel appreciated, otherwise your efforts could go underappreciated.
Then, consider creative options like:
🌟 Recharge days: Offer an extra day off as a thank-you.
⏰ Flexible scheduling: Let team members adjust hours or work remotely.
🥗 Extended lunch breaks: Encourage longer lunch breaks for a week to help your crew decompress, and consider ordering in so it’s one less thing for everyone to worry about.
🧘♀️ Midday break activities: Consider something like a guided stretching activity to help your team avoid injuries (if lifting in the warehouse or on site) or destress (if dealing with intense clients all day).
💆♂️ Wellness stipend: Sponsor a self-care activity like a spa visit or outdoor adventure to help your team unwind and recharge.
🛑 No-meeting days: Give everyone a break from meetings to focus or relax.
📉 Lighter workload weeks: Delay non-urgent tasks for a week.
To avoid operational headaches, use collaborative scheduling tools like Google Calendar. And set expectations early: notify VIP clients about any downtime, use out-of-office emails, and prepare a point person for urgent needs.
Personally, I give my team visibility into my time off. That way, they know I’m unavailable during my niece’s holiday play, but they can probably reach me if I’m at a haircut. But different strokes for different folks. Some people prefer strict work-life boundaries, while others enjoy flexibility.
Here’s to making the most of restful moments this holiday season!
See you next Tuesday,
Mallory Mullen
Goodshuffle
