Simple strategies to recharge, reconnect, and bring your best self to the office this season.
The ‘ber months are here, cooler weather, twinkling lights, and the annual holiday chaos. You know the scene: Aunt’s “famous” mac and cheese is a little too dry, your uncle is repeating that high school story for the tenth time, and your mom is… well, critiquing your life choices. Add travel delays, disrupted routines, and a dash of family drama, and suddenly your “holiday break” feels more stressful than relaxing.
And yet, when you return to work, you’re expected to be refreshed and focused. Surprise: life doesn’t always cooperate, and that’s okay. You are a whole person, and everything outside the office can affects your professional life. But with a few intentional strategies, you can navigate the season with a little more peace and a lot more gratitude.
Create a Loose Routine
Life is unpredictable, and over-planning often leads to frustration. Scheduling every minute will only create stress if things don’t go according to plan or put pressure on your loved ones to make everything happen. Instead, aim for a general outline with one or two time-specific events. This provides structure while leaving room for flexibility.
Find Time for Yourself
Spending time with family and friends is wonderful but feeling obligated to be “on” all the time can drain your energy. Find moments of peace, whether that’s taking a day for yourself, enjoying a fun activity, or even sneaking in a quick nature break. And if nothing else stay hydrated! More water = more breaks. 🥤
Express Gratitude
When we’re stressed or overstimulated, it’s easy to focus on the negatives. Starting a daily gratitude practice can improve sleep, boost self-confidence, increase resilience, and help shift your focus to the positive aspects of life.
Bringing Mindfulness and Gratitude Into the Workplace
Our approach encourages team members to show up authentically and support one another through grace whether it’s by helping a colleague, delaying a non-urgent question, or encouraging them to take a day off to recharge
While facilitating leadership/teambuilding workshops, we focused on embedding these practices into the workplace. Each session began with a check-in to allow everyone to share how they were feeling in the moment. Some ways to do this include:
- One-word check-in: Team members share a word that reflects their current state, sometimes using a feeling wheel for guidance, without judgment.
- Agency safe word: Organizations can adopt a “safe word,” such as grace, signaling, “I may not be my best self today, and I may need space.”
- Rose/Bud/Thorn: Team members share one success (rose), one challenge (thorn), and one thing they’re looking forward to (bud), ending the check-in on a positive note.
We also emphasize charitable assumption assuming the best in people, even when their actions seem out of character. This creates a safe space where staff can share openly, question assumptions, and avoid jumping to conclusions.
Finally, each session concludes with intentional gratitude. We’ve seen how expressing appreciation transforms team dynamics making teams more connected, creative, and resilient. Pausing to recognize each other’s efforts builds trust and reinforces a shared sense of purpose the true foundation of wellness at work.
During the final quarter of the year, we encourage every organization to reflect on what they’re grateful for. Whether it’s a moment of personal reflection, a team check-in, or a note of thanks, small acts of gratitude can have lasting effects on well-being and workplace connection.
At M. Leslie Palmer Consulting Group, we take pride in supporting our clients and are grateful for the meaningful work they do in the community and allowing us to be part of their mission.
