5 Ways You Can Take Care of Yourself and Your Business During the Upcoming Holiday Season

Holidays are a time to relax, enjoy the company of friends and family, and reflect on your life. 

Okay, that's the Norman Rockwell version of the holidays.  For most of us, there is some time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends, but there is also a lot of stress, last minute preparations, and time-consuming commitments around the holidays.  The problem can get even worse when you're juggling an at-home business.

However, you can prepare now to make this upcoming holiday season less stressful.  Try some of these tips:

1.  Get a jump on your work.

 Rather than trying to get your work done when Thanksgiving is right around the corner or your busy frantically shopping for last minute Christmas presents, try to get some of your work done in advance, if you can.  Taking the time now, in October, to get some work done that will be due in November and December can give you a little breathing room during the frantic holiday season.

2.  Hire an assistant.

 Retails stores do this all the time; during the holiday season, they hire extra hands to help.  You can do the same, if you're financially able.  If you want to spend more time with family, consider hiring a virtual assistant to do some of the behind-the-scenes work.  If you want to get more work done in a less stressful environment, consider hiring someone to clean your house for the next few months or to watch your kids a few hours a week so you can have uninterrupted time.

3.  Start saying no.

  As moms and women, we often have a hard time saying no, but for an enjoyable holiday season, that's what we must learn to do.  That might mean saying no to a client who wants to increase your work load during the holidays or saying no to making the cookies the PTA needs for the bake sale.  You can't do it all.  Trying to will only make you grumpy and frazzled.

4.  Make time to relax.

  People tend to think that if they work hard all.the.time, they'll get more done.  However, taking the time to relax, even if it's only 30 minutes at the end of the day to read a book, can recharge your spirit.  When you feel fresher, you're likely to get more done in less time.  Taking time to relax is essential.

5.  Get enough sleep.

  Just as essential as relaxing is making sure you get enough sleep.  When you're not mentally sharp due to lack of sleep, you'll take longer to get projects done and you'll make errors.  Get enough sleep so you can do your work in less time and more accurately.  The investment in sleep is one that you can't afford not to make.

The holidays can be more like the Norman Rockwell vision, if you make sure to take care of yourself.  Follow these steps, and hopefully you'll have a more enjoyable, less stressful, holiday season.

What are your favorite tips for enjoying the holidays while juggling a work-at-home business?