The busyness of the season is ramping up; you have gifts to buy, baking to do and decorating to complete, but you also have all of that program stuff for work too! 

If you aren't careful, you'll end up in survival mode, afraid you are going to drop the ball. You’ll be feeling overwhelmed and behind, endlessly frazzled and grumpy and constantly exhausted.

Survival mode can show up in your body as: anxiety, migraines, depression, back problems, digestive trouble, frequent colds and flu, canker or cold sores, difficulty sleeping, social withdrawal, weight gain/loss, addiction issues and angry outbursts.

You need to take care of yourself and yes, you have time!

To fend off burnout this holiday season, you must take care of yourself throughout the day. To do that, you need to manage your energy. We can't change how many hours are in a day, but we can manage our energy because it's often our energy drained. Four “energy pots” are described in The Way We're Working Isn't Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance.

For optimal performance, these energy pots would be full. But that may not be a realistic option for you right now. But can you add a bit to one of them to get you through the day and the season?

This is a short-term strategy, a temporary fix until you have time for a deeper charge. But it will keep you from falling apart, burning out and resenting Christmas. 

5-minute self-care strategy

Take a look at each energy area and consider: 

• Which energy pot is emptiest right now
• What can I do to put back into my energy reserves - in less than 5 minutes?
• Do that thing!

1. Physical - Physical energy is the foundation of wellness. It includes everything from how you eat, move and sleep. If this pot is drained, try one of these things to put a bit of energy back into this pot.

• Eat 
• Stretch
• Go pee
• Drink water
• Do a tiny bit of yoga
• Go for a short walk - even around the building
• Put your head on your desk and take a five-minute nap
• Close your eyes for a moment and take a few deep breaths

2. Emotional - Emotional energy is about how you are feeling; your emotions and your moods. If this pot is feeling drained or the emotions are about to boil over, try one of these to put things back in balance. 

• Laugh
• Dance
• Scream
• Write/journal
• Shake your body (Yes, these should probably be somewhere private, but they can be done in short bits to take the edge off. Go to the bathroom and literally shake your arms and butt, shaking off the icky feelings.) 
• Put headphones in and crank up a song that shifts your mood. 
• Sit in your car and let yourself cry for a moment. 

3. Mental - your ability to focus your thoughts. If this pot is drained and you are having trouble focusing or getting things done, try one of these suggestions to bring back some mental clarity.

• Breathe deeply
• Colour or doodle
• Meditate for a few moments
• Stop multitasking and focus on just one thing. 
• Clear the clutter in your workspace

4. Spiritual - your connection to something bigger than yourself, your purpose and alignment with your values. If this pot is drained and you feel a loss of meaning in the season, your work or your life, try one of these suggestions to put things back in perspective.

• Pray
• Meditate
• Listen to music
• Head out into nature
• Stop at a church on your way home
• Reach out to someone and connect from the heart

Leadership Development Coach and author Kathy Archer provides ongoing training to grow women leaders in Canada's Non-Profit Organizations. Kathy's membership site, The Training Library, offers affordable, relevant, and practical monthly content to keep leaders engaged and excited, expanding their leadership capacity and deepening their personal growth.