The holiday season is nearly here, and so is the holiday stress! The holidays are notorious for being bright, twinkling, and stressful as ever. With endless holiday festivals, parties, shopping, and get-togethers, many people experience burnout.
Burnout can wreak havoc on your overall health, so early intervention and prevention are paramount. Many jobs can also add to the overall stress, including marketers. With the holidays being famous for the endless array of marketing ads, it can take a toll on the mental health of the marketers themselves.
Even the World Health Organization classifies “burnout” as an occupational phenomenon! That is why it is imperative to learn the best ways to protect your mental health over the holidays.
Here is how to avoid holiday burnout and the top stress management mental health tips for marketers:
What is Burnout?
According to Psychology Today, burnout is classified as a state of mental, emotional, and often physical exhaustion. This is brought out by prolonged or repeated stress. Burnout can appear throughout all areas of life, including the following:
- At home
- Parenting
- Caretaking
- Work
- Romantic relationships
- Friendships
- And more
Burnout can become extremely dangerous as the overall health can be affected. Not just mental, but physical burnout can soon follow when too much emotional stress is endured. Mental health care is extremely important to maintain and preserve.
Signs of Burnout
Burnout is not simply feeling tired—it is overall exhaustion and depletion. Serious health consequences can happen, including:
- Increased fatigue
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Sleep disruptions and disturbances
- Decreased productivity
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Physical symptoms, i.e., headaches, body aches, changes in appetite, increased aches
- And more
Top Tips for Marketers to Avoid Holiday Burnout
Marketers are responsible for generating targeted campaigns to increase overall profits. In other words, they are at the helm of informing the masses of the top trends and where and what to buy this holiday season. That in and of itself can become taxing on mental health and quickly. It can even affect overall workplace wellness.
Mental health topics become crucial to know so as to avoid burnout throughout the holidays. Here are the top tips for marketers to avoid burnout and manage their mental health care this holiday season:
Learning to Pause Helps Mental Health Care
Before you begin the wild marketing campaigns for the holiday season, learn to pause. Pausing can improve mental health nearly immediately. Stop a moment and take several long, deliberate breaths.
Start of the holiday season with an extra dose of calm, which can help you see things more clearly. Learning to pause can help reduce the effects of challenging moments and teach you how to respond versus react. Pausing helps reregulate your nervous system so you can better tolerate the hard things… like creating successful holiday marketing strategies!
Set Priorities
As a marketer, you wear many hats. It is wise to set your priorities and select your marketing efforts before making any moves this holiday season. Determine in advance how you want to spend your time and which direction you want to take at work. Be clear, timely, and efficient in your marketing business.
Marketing businesses are the busiest during the holiday seasons. Are you focused on festive flash sales or more long-term?
Are you creating new day-to-day routines? Brainstorming innovative marketing ads? Decide what is most important and be clear with your next steps. Doing too much or not enough can consequently lead you to burnout.
Take Frequent Short Breaks During Your Marketing Efforts
Taking frequent short breaks differs from pausing and can improve mental health. Pausing is stopping completely to allow yourself a mental reset. Taking short breaks can significantly improve your productivity and keep you motivated.
Allowing yourself to take short breaks is the equivalent of taking a power nap—you will be rejuvenated and ready to go. Frequent breaks are better than longer as you can lose motivation and energy if you “break” for too long. Your overall mental health will benefit.
Practice Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is the key to keeping burnout away this holiday season. Mindfulness techniques can help reduce anxiety and stress.
When you practice mindfulness, it literally improves your brain chemistry. It improves it by increasing the following levels in your brain:
- GABA: which helps us stay calm
- Dopamine: the pleasure and reward neurotransmitter
- Serotonin: which helps us experience positive emotions
Mindfulness changes our stress and fear responses. Sensory information is received, and the amygdala is the part of the brain that processes that information. Regular mindfulness practice allows the amygdala to shrink. The smaller the amygdala, the less the fear and anxiety response. This increases calmness and allows for better anxiety management, especially during the busy holiday marketing season.
You Can Say No
No, in and of itself, is a complete sentence. The holiday season is notorious for holiday parties, galas, and time spent with loved ones. Balancing work and the holiday festivities can feel overwhelming. If you want to say no, then say no.
You do not have to do everything. Keep it simple with a “No, thank you. Thank you for the invitation, though!” You do not have to attend every party. Protect your peace and priorities during the busy holidays. You first.
Self-care is Key
The holidays are a time of fun and celebration. But that does not mean you can neglect yourself in your self-care.
Self-care is imperative to staying healthy throughout the holidays. Take that nap. Boost your immune system by eating healthier. Get in an extra step during the day.
Allow yourself proper time to rest and rejuvenate. Work is important, but so is your downtime, so make the most of it. Create space for self-care, both physical and mental. This is an essential step to maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
Seek Support
If you need additional support during the holiday season, do not hesitate to contact someone. This can be the greatest gift you could give yourself during the holidays. Millions of people feel burnout and overwhelm throughout the holidays. You are not alone.
Reach out to friends, colleagues, and even a mental health professional. Support and encouragement can be necessary during the holiday season. Positive relationships support your overall mental well-being. With your support system set up, marketers can fully immerse themselves in the joy of the holiday season without the stress of burnout.
Spreading Holiday Cheer Improves Mental Health
One of the best ways to avoid burnout is to immerse yourself in holiday cheer. Even science says so! Suggest a holiday party or theme days at the office. Working remotely? You can be festive on video calls, too!
Many people struggle during the holiday season, so what better way to be happy than to spread holiday cheer for all to hear?
Marketers are inundated with sales and ad campaigns this time of year. To avoid burnout, remember the why of the holiday season. The gift that keeps on giving is the gift-giving itself and the reasons behind why we do it: to spread the holiday cheer and make people happy.
Bottom Line
The holidays do not have to lead you to burnout as a marketer. This holiday season, spread the holiday cheer and keep your peace of mind. By learning to pause, graciously saying no, setting your priorities, and taking short breaks, you can wildly enjoy this time of year.
Self-care is key, and seeking support can greatly benefit your overall well-being. You can avoid burnout by putting your focus on yourself first and practicing mindfulness.
Mindfulness allows you to keep calm and manage your stress better. You can absolutely prevent burnout during the holidays. Your mental well-being and target audience will thank you!