It’s a tough time to focus. This might help
We have to muddle through somehow!
We have officially entered a weird time of year. We’re faced with looming work tasks like filing grant reports, catching up on emails, and completing annual reviews. Meanwhile, the world around us has transformed: grocery stores are playing holiday tunes, downtown street lights are festooned with wreaths and bows, and every other neighbor’s yard boasts a giant holiday inflatable.
Plenty has been written about the confusing period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But I find myself more befuddled in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the former, my job is clear: to relax, be with family, and do a whole lot of nothing. Right now, though, I feel pulled in opposing directions: Should I be wrapping up work projects or wrapping up presents? And what if I don’t have the energy to do either?
This is the time of year when, for me at least, the effects of daylight saving time really begin to sink in. I find myself having less energy, losing focus more easily, and lacking the general motivation to accomplish ambitious tasks. Winter is coming, and I want to take a nap.
For most of us, we have no choice but to muddle through this period. We must focus on work tasks while also managing the onslaught of holiday-discount emails clogging up our inboxes. We challenge ourselves to get things done so that we can relax during the final days of the year. It’s like we’re all collectively experiencing the madness that happens before going on vacation: tying up a million loose ends so that, finally, we can collapse into a beach chair (or, in this case, onto the couch with a warm and cozy blanket), feeling satisfied knowing that all our tasks are done — at least for a brief moment.
If you’re in that pre-holiday work frenzy, I see you. And if you’re feeling a little less energetic and motivated than usual? Me too, friend. I know how disorienting this period can be. Fortunately, I have some tried and true tips to help get through it.