Helping you celebrate the seasonal festivities
As we approach shutdown over the Christmas period, whereby our offices are closing on Friday 20th December and reopening on Monday 6th January, we’ve crafted a seasonal message to get you ready for the upcoming festivities.
Our Christmas pact
At Integrated Office Solutions, our promise to clients is being a trusted partner whose goal is to make your life easier. Obviously, this relates to our technology customisation, software training and business consultancy services, all of which are designed and developed to simplify your working day.
In this Christmas message, however, our pledge has a different purpose. While still focused on you, it’s about helping you through the festive season via a series of stress-relief, enjoyment-elevating tips, created especially for those who find Christmas a challenging time of year.
The demands and difficulties of Christmas
If you’re someone who loves Christmas, you’re lucky. There are people who struggle at Christmas for a variety of reasons such as having lost a close family member or friend, worrying about money to buy food and presents, lacking time to make plans for the occasion, comparing to the picture-perfect representations on social media by a wider friendship circle, and being in hospital or suffering ill health, to name a few.
Our Christmas-themed advice is intended primarily for those amongst you facing hardship and tackling adversity, but we hope there’s something here for everyone, even Christmas-obsessed individuals.
Our 12 tips of Christmas
Instead of the ‘12 days of Christmas’, we present ‘12 tips of Christmas’ to ensure Yuletide is cause for celebration by all…
Tip #1: Make an effort to switch off from work. Everyone deserves a rest from the daily toil. Hybrid working and imminent deadlines mean it’s hard to fully step back from work. To give yourself some proper breathing space, discuss your workload with colleagues and managers, set expectations by updating clients on matter progress, switch on your out-of-office message, disable email notifications, turn off your work phone and laptop, and don’t book appointments for your first day back in January.
“To get away from one’s working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one’s self.” – Charles Horton Cooley
Tip #2: Don’t aim for perfection. By attempting to apply perfectionism to your arrangements, you’re setting yourself up for failure due to unrealistic expectations and unhealthy coping mechanisms. What’s perfection, anyway? Perfection is an illusion and its pursuit can be damaging. We each have our own opinion on the perfect Christmas.
“By vain striving for perfection in a world where everything is relative, mankind wanders even further away from inward peace and happiness of the mind.” – Dalai Lama
Tip #3: Spend within your means. When Christmas has passed, it’s not the matching pyjamas, expensive gifts and lavish food that’ll be remembered. Loving, sharing and caring matters more – as does the thought behind the present, rather than the thing itself. So, it’s not worth racking up debts to fund a Christmas you simply can’t afford. Set a budget, manage your money, get creative with gifting and turn to financial aid agencies if the going gets tough.
“The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much.” – Henry David Thoreau
Tip #4: Delegate tasks to others. Christmas chores aren’t one person’s sole responsibility. Write a list of jobs and assign to yourself and others. This includes guests who can bring food to your table and roll up their sleeves in your home to ease the pressures of your Christmas to-do list.
“Delegation is not a sign of weakness, but of strength.” – Steve Jobs
Tip #5: Say ‘no’ when you need to. Following on from tip #3, be kind to yourself and don’t stretch yourself too thinly. There are parties to go to, meals to be cooked, house chores to be done and maybe even paid work to attend to, but you can’t do it all singlehandedly. If you can’t delegate, have the courage to say ‘no’ once in a while.
“A ‘no’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘yes’ uttered merely to please.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Tip #6: Shop locally to support companies in your neighbourhood. Heading to the nearest shopping centre or buying online are causes of anxiety due to heavy crowds and long queues, and cybersecurity concerns respectively. By keeping it local, you’re supporting your local economy, nurturing a sense of community and finding unusual gifts while simultaneously enjoying the shopping experience.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economies and the cornerstone of our communities.” – Barack Obama
Tip #7: Play games to have fun. Games are for adults just as much as children, and kids love it when parents and grandparents join in. Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, board games or physical games, get involved and make lasting Christmas memories that’ll bring a smile to your face for months (years, even!).
“Playing games can contribute to making you happy.” – Giles Brandreth
Tip #8: Get fresh air and exercise. Over Christmas, there’s a tendency to stay inside and stop exercising as there’s simply too much to do at home. Appreciating the outdoors (fresh air) and releasing endorphins (exercise) give you a feel-good mood, thus reducing any holiday blues you might otherwise encounter. On the subject of mental health, there are dedicated charities for the legal sector, LawCare included, who provide free-and-confidential emotional support, should the need arise.
“Exercise should be regarded as a tribute to the heart.” – Gene Tunney
Tip #9: Eat healthily and drink water. Another Christmas temptation is to eat chocolates for breakfast and consume alcohol all day long. While everything’s fine in moderation, making sure you eat your fair share of fruit and vegetables, and drink the recommended daily amount of water will fuel your body and mind.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
Tip #10: Adopt self-care habits. Whether it’s deep breathing, having a bath, reading a book, meditating, listening to music, whatever… relaxation and wellbeing are active choices. Squeeze moments for yourself and begin habits to last beyond the holidays. The same concept applies to sleep. Sleep deprivation often results from the hectic whirl of activities and constant stream of visitors. You’ll become sluggish, miserable and irritable if you don’t sleep well. Monitor your go-to-bed and waking-up times to keep your sleeping patterns on track.
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde
Tip #11: Appreciate keyworkers. Christmas is a time for showing gratitude. Take a moment to thank the doctors, nurses, police, shop assistants, hospitality staff and other keyworkers who have to put in the hours over Christmas. Do so by raising a glass and making a toast during dinner, dropping off a box of chocolates to your doctor’s surgery, or sending ‘thank you’ cards to your nearest pubs and restaurants – there are many ways to express thanks.
“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” – Cicero
Tip #12: Give back to your community. Christmas is also the season of giving, and the best gifts are your time and love. From volunteering at a homeless shelter, to inviting a lonely neighbour for dinner, to plating up a meal for a housebound person who lives alone, there are myriad opportunities for ‘giving back’ initiatives and making a difference to those less fortunate.
“Do your little bit of good where you are. It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu
Get in touch with Integrated Office Solutions
Although we’re taking a break over Christmas, we’ll be monitoring our emails and responding to urgent queries. If you have an issue demanding immediate attention, please contact our team by emailing info@iosl.co.uk or visiting https://iosl.co.uk/contact-us. Wishing a very merry Christmas and happy New Year to you and yours.