Managing Stress at Work in the Lead up to the Holiday season

By Sarah Alwyn

The end-of-year rush hits differently now. While holiday season stress isn’t new, today’s always-on culture and hybrid work environments have amplified workplace mental health challenges.

The Black Dog Institute reports that one in five Australian workers are currently experiencing a mental health condition, with workplace stress being a significant contributor. This pressure often intensifies during December, when shorter deadlines collide with increased social commitments and year-end responsibilities.

As a leader, recognising and responding to stress signals – both in yourself and your team – is crucial. Beyond Blue’s research indicates that while many people maintain a brave face during December’s busy period, mental health support services see a significant spike in demand during January, suggesting the cumulative impact of holiday season stress often surfaces after the break.

Key warning signs to watch

• Working extended hours over a prolonged period: starting early and finishing late
• Difficulties managing boundaries between work and home: answering emails and responding to texts at night
• Forgetting to eat and to take a break at the appropriate time
• Missing an important work meeting or family event due to being too distracted or overwhelmed
• Irritability and easily prone to anger
• Reduced energy, fatigue and lowered mood
• Anxious thoughts – self-doubt and reduced confidence in making decisions
• Lapses in concentration and making mistakes
• Disrupted sleep
• Change to appetite

What leaders can do to better look after ourselves and our people

The good thing is, we can manage stress and there are many things you can do to ensure you are looking after yourself and your team.

These don’t require too much physical or emotional exertion, just some consideration and intention based on the following:

• Call out and name the warning signs and symptoms (as noted above) – this provides clarity and a better understanding of the impact of the current situation
• Be clear about start and finish times before the day begins, to ensure you keep timeframes in-check
• Use ‘moments’ to manage the pace of your day by stopping for brief seconds/minutes to acknowledge how you feel and create space to momentarily pause, breathe and engage in movement
• Diarise in your online calendar specific timeframes for daily meal, bathroom and brief rest breaks – to create importance about these necessary activities
• Check-in on people who are displaying warning signs of stress or a decline in mental health and wellbeing – ask them how they are feeling, offer support, and explore what may help to reduce the impact of stress
• Encourage team members to look after themselves by communicating regularly about how to manage their wellbeing at work – by taking rest breaks and maintaining strong social/collegiate connections and speaking-up when they need support
• And importantly, lead by example. Be intentional about prioritising actions that reduce stress and promote wellbeing. Maintain consistent communication with your people about the significance of these efforts.

The holiday season is a busy time, so take note of the warning signs of stress and be intentional about how to look after yourself and your valued team members.

Planning for the January transition

In Australia, we often see an increase in mental health issues in January – people are often stressed in the lead-up to Christmas, but it’s afterwards that issues can surface. As a leader, it’s worth keeping this in mind and noticing changes in how your people behave.

Lifeline Australia reports a 15-20% increase in calls during January, highlighting the need for proactive support planning. Consider:

• Scheduling lighter workloads for early January
• Planning regular check-ins with team members
• Being alert to post-holiday stress signals
• Having support resources readily available
• Encouraging use of EAP services and wellbeing resources proactively.

Businesses across NSW have access to free coaching from a highly trained expert to help create or fine-tune your mentally healthy workplace. Through confidential one-on-one sessions, a coach will help address issues or identify risks to mental health within your business and give you practical tools and strategies to manage them. Find out more here.