How to be Productive at Work and Safe During the Holidays

Rebecca Serviss

The holiday season is going to look different than it has in previous years. With the spread of COVID-19 on the rise in the United States and around the world, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that people spend the holidays at home with only their immediate family to reduce the spread of the virus.

While this isn’t how many people expected to be spending the most wonderful time of the year, it has allowed us to be more productive, both in our professional and personal life.

Update your professional online presence and documents 

If you haven’t been keeping up with your professional presence online, now is the perfect time to do so. This is especially important for college graduates and those who are looking for new work as 2021 brings a lot of hiring opportunities that you can take advantage of.

Take a look at your LinkedIn, Monster, and Indeed profiles and make sure they’re up to date. Make sure to include any supporting documents in your LinkedIn profile. While many companies aren’t in the process of conducting interviews and hiring new employees during the holidays, once 2021 comes around, that will change, and it is best to get a jump start while you have some downtime so you can start reaching out and applying right away. Recruiters also may not be working long hours during the holiday season, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to do your research and come up with questions about jobs that are best suited for you.

Additionally, take a look at your resume and see if it’s missing any components or experiences you might want to include. If your resume looks very outdated, check out some of our tips for giving your resume a fresh new feel. Along with your resume, check up on your cover letter and make sure it reflects the qualities that employers look for in new candidates. If you need a head start on ideas, check out one of our previous posts on the subject.

New Year’s Resolutions 

It is tradition to develop a New Year’s Resolution or something you want to work on for the new year. Usually, a resolution consisting of something you want to work on in your personal life. With the pandemic conquering most of 2020, try coming up with a list of goals you want to achieve in 2021 and work on how you’re going to accomplish them.

Many people make a list each year of what they want to improve on, but it usually never lasts because people get overwhelmed with work or other obligations in their lives. One way of preventing it from being put on the back burner or just forgotten all together is through planning. By coming up with a plan to achieve your goals, it gives you a sense of how long it will take you to accomplish your goals and create a schedule on how you plan to get there.

There is also the need for motivation to stick with your resolution. One way to stay motivated to accomplish your goals is by rewarding yourself. Creating smaller goals and milestones to reach in the process of achieving a larger one allows you to reward yourself along the way and keeps you motivated to continue going. Maybe after spending long hours working hard on a project at work, you take more time to yourself and think of something fun to do, like a special outing, meal, or just taking time for yourself.

Creating a schedule and planning can be a little tedious, especially given the circumstances in the world. Still, it is one of the smartest ways to take advantage of the extra downtime and put you on the right track to accomplish your goals.

Don’t be afraid to take some time for yourself

This year has been rough on everyone. Millions of people were forced to adapt to the remote workplace with very short notice, all during an international health crisis that completely changed the way we live our everyday lives and go about our normal routines. This has caused many people to feel on edge and worried about the uncertainty of the near future. You deserve to use some free time to focus on your mental and physical health. Get started on those New Year’s Resolution workouts or try some online yoga classes. YouTube offers many free yoga and workout classes ranging from 30 minutes to an hour and can be done anywhere with internet access. If you are stuck at home, check out our previous posts on taking care of your mental and physical health while you’re working and relaxing.

With all of the chaos 2020 has brought, you deserve to take some time for yourself and reward yourself for all of your hard work and everything you’ve had to adjust to in the process. Now is the time to cozy up with a warm blanket, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and binge watch some new titles or new recommendations with friends. Host or join a Zoom party with friends and family so that you stay connected with everyone safely and find unique ways to celebrate this year.

Remember to stay safe

Even though 2020 is coming to a close and 2021 is upon us, the pandemic is still going on and there is still a lot at risk if people start to let their guard down. Be sure to continue to follow local, state, and national guidelines and recommendations.

The holiday season is a special time to be with friends and family, but this year it is more important than ever to stay safe. We all have missed our loved ones during this difficult time, but we cannot put them or ourselves in danger of becoming infected. If you plan on traveling, be sure to plan in advance. Some places require prior testing and quarantine before you head to the airport and the same when you return home.

The safest way to celebrate this year is not the ideal way. Thanks to technology, it has given us new ways to connect with friends and family without endangering them or ourselves. Utilize virtual video chat applications whenever you can, and be sure to check up on those who may feel a little extra lonely this holiday season.

We’re all in this together.

Happy holidays and please stay safe and remember that we will get through this.

December 8, 2020