There’s always a real sense of a new start in September, but it can take time to readjust to routine after the summer. And with autumn’s arrival and the nights starting to set in, it’s even more important to look after ourselves – and each other – in the long lead-up to Christmas.
Everyone’s different. But at McMillan & Associates HR, there are a few tools that really help us manage our workloads and our wellbeing during the busy, post-summer season. Here are our top tips for feeling reset and ready for the months ahead:
Clear your workspace
It’s hard to concentrate amongst clutter and chaos. Spend just a few minutes clearing any mess on your desk and you’ll clear your mind, too. Plus, it’ll reduce any frustration when you can’t find that important document or a pen to take notes when a client calls.
We love to keep a neat and tidy office here at McMillan & Associates HR. Just ask our OD Practitioner, Zoe, about the way she likes to store her coloured pens!
Plan and prioritise your workload
Setting a clear schedule for what you need to do and when makes even the biggest projects easier to handle. In our team, we all find it helpful to prioritise, so we don’t lose sight of what’s really important when we’re feeling overwhelmed.
You could try using time-scheduling software such as Toggl or Asana to plan your months, weeks and even day according to project and client. Or you might be a fan of a good old colour-coded Post-it note and a wall calendar, like us!
Look after your body and mind
Taking the time to move your body keeps every part of you healthy – including your brain! And you don’t need to join a gym or take up running to see benefits. Exercise can be as simple as taking a brisk walk around the block on your lunch break, whizzing up and down the stairs to see colleagues instead of sending yet another email, or winding down with some yoga at home after a hectic day. Anything that means you’re not sitting still is a win!
We also find it really helps to eat a proper lunch. Of course, we’re a fan of a good biscuit! But that’s no substitute for refuelling with a hearty, healthy lunch away from our desks, to power our brains for the afternoon ahead.
Take a (proper!) break
Feeling under pressure to tick off a long to-do list? Remember, spending an entire day glued to your screen isn’t productive. A change of focus rebalances your mental load, whether you’re doing a little bit of exercise, going and chatting to a colleague, or practising some breathing exercises while you make a brew. More often than not, you’ll get back to your desk refreshed with the motivation to tackle that tricky task.
For a more restorative break, don’t forget to take time off! We’d never expect our team to commit to working day in, day out. Instead, we encourage flexible working patterns and, of course, holidays! Take a look back to see how our team spent their well-earned summer holiday breaks when we all reduced our working hours for August (and business continued to thrive while we did so!).