Tips to help Digital Marketers, Social Media Managers, and Business Owners Stay Sane During the Holidays
By: Cassie Witt
Tags: Digital Marketing, Holidays, Stress Management, 2020

Photo by Cofohint Esin on Unsplash

I know it’s almost the end of the holidays, but as we are in the home stretch, I wanted to write a quick post to help me and (anyone else who may benefit) get through the holidays (at least mostly) in one piece.

Our stores may not be “full of people” anymore (thanks, COVID!) but that hasn’t stopped a lot of shoppers from buying. If you had to suddenly start offering “curbside pickup”, or increase (or start) your digital store inventory, then you’ll know what I mean.

In addition, many of us are now working from home and having to deal with the lack of personal contact, family or roommate interruptions, and working in a space that wasn’t designed for it. It’s tough, to say the least, when we get thrown into a situation we’re not used to. So, I’ve put together six tips you can use to get you through the rest of the holiday season (and beyond).

#1: Take a Deep Breath

Take a deep breath. Seriously. I know this sounds like the most vague advice ever, but it really works. It’s also backed by science. Check out this article by the Mayo Clinic for more information.

What happens in times of stress? Well, usually, we react. And not always in a good way. This is called the stress response, and is often the reason why we snap or react negatively in a stressful situation. By taking a moment to really breathe properly, we give our brains some much-needed oxygen. This, in turn, slows the heart rate and lowers or stabilizes blood pressure. That turns a stress response into a relaxation response, and allows us to make clearer decisions in the moment.

Of course, that’s not always easy to remember when a tricky situation literally tackles us. That’s why practicing is important. I like to pair my deep breathing practice with yoga for some added flexibility benefits, and I’ve found that a session will instantly calm me down.

It’s also not always practical to break out the downward-dog in every situation, but remembering to practice deep breathing in times of stress helps us hone the relaxation response rather than the stress one.

#2: Remember That it’s a “Season”

Every time I got overwhelmed during this holiday season, I had to remind myself that it is just a “season”. It’s not going to last forever. It may feel like it lasts forever, but before you and I know it, it’s going to be the New Year and we’ll be worried about our New Year’s resolutions (and how long we can honestly keep up with them).

I’ll be honest. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the cheesy holiday movies, the feeling of family togetherness as we all gather together to exchange gifts, and the food. What isn’t my favorite, though, is the insanity that this holiday brings along with it. There is no other holiday that sparks so much commercial insanity. No wonder we’re all running around during this time of year like chickens with their heads cut off!

Even though the pandemic has made it so that a lot of us aren’t running around at the moment, it is still stressful. Dealing with pandemic related stress and depression during the holidays is no joke. But it will end.

#3: Switch it Up

If you normally do a lot of digital work (e.g. social media posting, email blasting, community nurturing) then take time everyday to get away from that screen. Go walk around, play with your kids or pets, do some jumping jacks or some sun salutations, or just get up and walk away for a moment. Sometimes, it’s so easy to try to push through and ignore your hunger, thirst, cricked neck and tired eyes. But I always feel better when I take small breaks throughout the day, no matter how busy I am.

My personal switch is to get up and move around. Lately I’ve been cleaning. Which sounds like a drag, I know. I don’t particularly like cleaning, but nothing quite beats the satisfaction of working your butt off and seeing that beautifully clean result. Some days, it’s the only concrete progress that I can point to. I also make it more fun by listening to music, dancing around and singing. Maybe that’s not your style, but injecting more fun into your life can’t hurt.

If you are already on your feet, and you want to check out of “real life” for a moment to find out what’s happening on your personal social media accounts, that’s okay, too. Hey, cat cute animal videos are still a thing, and we can all use a smile or a chuckle or two. Just don’t let yourself get sucked into social media and start “doomscrolling”. I promise it’s a thing, and it’s addictive and terrible.

No matter what, take a few minutes every day to switch what you’re doing. Your mind and body will thank you later.

#4: Take Time for You

You are important to the process. So, don’t forget to make sure that you are as ready as you can be. That means taking care of yourself, even when you don’t feel like you have the time.

I’m one of those people that doesn’t have a set way that I unwind. I’m very much a creature of “whatever I’m in the mood for”. Some nights it will be a video game, another night I might curl up with a good book or fanfiction, while another I decide to indulge in several episodes of a favorite show while sipping a glass of wine or two, or I could decide to bake or cook a fancy meal while listening to some of my favorite tunes or a podcast. Maybe you are the same way. Maybe you’re not. Whatever you do to unwind, though, try to schedule in some time this holiday season.

You may not feel like you have the time, but if you mess something up because you were stressed and tired, you’ll likely feel even worse later. Nobody likes to get hit with a guilt double-whammy. So, do yourself a favor and give yourself the gift of “you” time.

#5: You Don’t Have to be Perfect

As I said before, this is almost over. Which means that my motivation to make everything perfect has taken a nosedive and is about ready to crash into the earth. At the beginning of the season, I had big plans to launch a new eBook, get more client work, put up a ton of Christmas decorations, bake and cook holiday goodies, do fun things with my son and best friend, finally decorate my bedroom, rake the billions of leaves that have piled in our yard, clean the fireplace, winter clean the house, and get the crochet Christmas presents done early. Needless to say, it was a huge list. Now, I’m pretty much down to: fulfill client work that absolutely has to be done, finish crocheting all the Christmas presents I way too ambitiously planned to do, and spend as much time with my son and best friend as possible. And that’s okay with me.

I read something recently that put this all in perspective for me. We get to decide how this year ends. For me, it’s not about perfection. It’s about getting as much out of the time I have left in it as possible. In order to do that, I’ve got to let go of some things which are just not as important.

So, if you feel the same way, then please join me in making the end of the year the best that it can be without it being perfect.

I hope these tips help you enjoy the rest of the holiday season with less stress and a little more sanity.