Dear Caring and Concerned,

While the holidays inspire cooperation and a sense of giving, people also have their usual busy schedules and then add things like entertaining, shopping, cooking, decorating, and partying. This results in less sleep and more stress. In addition, some people expect to be happier than perhaps they really are and/or feel left out and become depressed. As a result, you might see increased conflict, short fuses, memory lapses, mistakes, and even physical illness. All this can contribute to decreased quality and productivity at the workplace.

So what should you do? Let your employees know that you appreciate how busy and stressed they are. Help them prioritize and focus on work commitments at work. Avoid adding unnecessary activities or projects and do schedule realistically.

As a small business, let your employees participate in determining how many and when people are needed to keep the business productive. Have people schedule themselves for work and have a back-up plan in place for emergencies. Consider a rotating preference schedule, with those getting first preferences now, going to the end of the list later. Smile, praise, and recognize cooperation and most important keep your own spirits high and positive so people will want to come to work.

Signs of depression include being discouraged, withdrawing or acting differently from his or her normal work behavior. This can occur for a variety of reasons. There may have been a loss or change (death or divorce or a move) in the past year that makes this holiday season different. There may be a sense of being overwhelmed or possibly feeling excluded.

While it is important for an employer to focus on workplace issues and performance, a good reminder for all is to not let the holidays control them but rather to be proactive and disciplined. Don’t spend more than you can afford. Focus on others rather than yourself. Help others by volunteering at a non-profit agency or place of worship. Don’t wait to be invited to do something. Invite others to join you. Eat properly, watching fat, sugar and consumption of alcohol (a depressant). And as always, concentrate on the many blessings that are bestowed upon us daily. In other words, keeping focused during the holidays is a function of a positive attitude. Even if you can’t control, the way you feel, you can control the way you act. If you act the way you want to feel, the feelings will often follow.