The holidays are a golden opportunity for people to rest and replenish their energy so that they can improve their productivity in 2023.
The holidays are upon us and we need to capitalize on them. Taking time to recharge during this December holiday will greatly improve your productivity for 2023. This is the time when you switch off from work and transition into full holiday mode. You have a work number? This is the time to shut it down because if you don’t, you know you’ll have mixed thoughts during the holidays.
Here are five strategies that will help you take full advantage of the holidays and recharge to prepare you for 2023.
1. Get enough sleep to improve your productivity
When you’re working, it’s hard to get enough sleep regularly. You have meetings that take up your work time and you have to wake up early to fill in for the time you were not working. At the same time, you’re juggling different responsibilities. For example family, kids, studies, friends, side gigs and so many other things.
Your devoted attention to these different things means that you have to eat into your sleeping time yet research proves that sleep is key to functioning effectively as a human. Enough regular sleep is not only beneficial to your brain but it’s also therapeutic to your body. The Economist says that the body heals itself when you’re asleep.
Now that you have enough time during the holidays, capitalize on sleep. Let your brain and body get enough rest. It will provide a conducive environment for the body to replenish itself and your brain will be empowered to help you accomplish more once it has rested enough. You know how tasking it is when you don’t sleep but you still have to work. Sleep will help you improve your productivity come 2023.
So it’s time you get those new duvets and nice smooth bed sheets, your comfy pillow, shut your phone and sleep.
2. Watch movies
When we have a busy schedule it’s often hard to find time to watch a movie or catch up on a TV Series you really like. You know the famous saying “Live a little,” others say, “Life is for the living.” Holidays give you a chance to enjoy your favourite movie. Go to the cinemas and enjoy the latest movies at the box office.
It will help you decompress from the tight, tasking fast-paced work life. Your mind and heart need to take a breather and movies are one of the best ways to get that done. When 2023 arrives you’ll be refreshed and in the right mental state to face the challenges and obligations that follow.
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3. Spend time with family and loved ones
Thank God for the holidays because you get to spend more time with the people you love the most. Now you can take your partner or spouse out for a good number of dates and spend quality time with them. If you have been waking up early and leaving for work before your children wake up and coming back late as they’re going to sleep, now you have the opportunity to play with them and do fun things together.
Additionally, you can go out and meet your cousins, uncles, aunts, and friends and travel upcountry to say hi to your parents. Research shows that these experiences produce feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins in the brain. This will greatly boost your mental health and improve your productivity in 2023.
4. Travel to different places and see the world to improve your productivity
I recently had a road trip to five different counties for work. We went to Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi, Lamu, Tana River, and Garissa for some research work while shooting a documentary. The beauty of the five-day road trip was that it never felt like work. Make no mistake, we worked and achieved our goals but it was refreshing to embellish and nourish my eyes with the beauty of different sceneries.
What a wonder it was to learn about different indigenous cultures and to see life from their perspectives. We entertained our taste buds with different foods and cuisines. Those are experiences that will forever live in our memories. When you travel you never fail to learn important lessons about life and people. It changes your mind and revolutionizes how you approach challenges.
I’ll never forget this woman in Lamu whom we were interviewing. She was confident in front of the camera but couldn’t articulate her words fluently as directed by the director. However, she kept doing it wrong until eventually, she got it right. I realized that sometimes we are so focused on succeeding that when we fail once we give up. No! Keep doing it no matter how many times you get it wrong. You’ll eventually get it right.
These crucial life lessons will boost and improve your productivity as you mature in life and grow in your career.
5. Moments of reflection and planning
The holidays present you with a golden opportunity to reflect and think about your life. In the silence of your home as you rest and enjoy the tranquillity of inactivity, take the moment and meditate about the passing year. What were your highlights? What mistakes did you make? How did you handle challenges? What can you do better in 2023? Who do you need to bring into your life and who do you need to cut off?
As you go into 2023 you’ll go with a clear mind and a refined focus thus greatly improving your productivity.
Conclusion
Enjoy the holidays. Focus on having fun and stop worrying about emails and clients. Don’t let that report which didn’t go well stand between you and a refreshing time decompressing during this festive season. Happy holidays.
