The holidays can be a wonderful time of year, but let’s face it – there is plenty of stress to go around. Stress is no fun, but it also detracts from employee performance. Start planning now to build in some holiday stress reducers to your end-of-year routine.

What causes holiday stress? Some of it is work-related, such as preparing end-of-year paperwork and meeting end-of-year sales goals. Added on top are a host of personal obligations such as planning holiday travel, prepping holiday meals, entertaining friends and family, and purchasing and wrapping gifts.

It’s no wonder that close to 25% of people report feelings of extreme stress during the holidays, according to the American Psychological Assoc. Among the most-cited stressors is lack of time, as up to 69% of people report time as their biggest holiday challenge.

Many people get around their lack of time by adding personal tasks to their work day. One CareerBuilder study found that more than 50% of employees shop online for the holidays while at work. This is certainly not great for office productivity, but what are employers to do? You can’t manufacture extra time out of thin air.

Or can you?

As you plan holiday parties and other events this season, think about adding in some holiday stress reducers.

  • Give employees an afternoon off for shopping. You’ll end up ahead, as employees won’t be burning up Amazon Prime while they’re on the clock. Plus, they’ll be grateful that you thought of them.
  • Incorporate flexible scheduling if you can – some employees may want to add hours to make holiday cash, while others need extra time off.
  • Gather the team for 15-minute exercise breaks every afternoon. This natural stress treatment will pay for itself with enhanced concentration and better moods office-wide.
  • Where possible, hold off on adding deadline-intensive projects during the holidays if they can wait until the New Year.
  • Try a special holiday perk that takes an errand off of your employee’s to-do list. At Saving Grace, we have launched a special holiday perk that helps employees regain some time. Book our mobile gift-wrap team to come to your office for a half or full day. Your employees can drop off bags and parcels in the morning, and return later in the day to find beautifully wrapped gifts. We bring all supplies, set up, and clean up – no stress and smiles of relief all around!

Holiday stress reducers don’t have to be expensive or difficult to manage – simply by acknowledging the stress your employees face is big first step. Finding meaningful and memorable ways to help your employees will bring benefits to everyone.

Contact us today if we can help you find a way to bring joy to your employees and reduce stress with our holiday gift-wrapping bar.