Balance and well being in the yuletide season

A dog reflects the family life….

Well, another year is almost over and alongside thinking about the ups and downs of working in business it’s a great time to reflect a little about all of us here  at the company. Since the end of the pandemic - getting travel plans,  face to face meetings and offices restarted has sometimes been a struggle, it is as the shifts we have seen in business are reflected in our personal expectations of what it means to live and work in the world we live in. I caught up with Sarah Müggenburg, a mindful leadership & organizational well-being advocate from Berlin to ask her a few things about our digital lives and get some ideas on how to combat our own ups and downs, especially at this special time of year. 

Hi Sarah, you have a passion about women's and mental health, can you tell me a little more about how you came to be interested in these topics and what you have discovered for yourself about them?

I've been practicing and teaching yoga for 2 decades and I also have been teaching at companies. What I experienced, when I founded my own business in digital health, is that there is much more to mental health and corporate wellbeing, than a yoga class here and there or other benefits for employees. I realized I needed much more freedom in my choice of how I like to work. In this way, the pandemic was quite an advantage for some of us: working remotely can help your work-life balance. Especially for me, being a parent, this reduced a lot of complexity in our family life.

In my opinion, to sustain a healthy working environment, corporate well-being should be at the heart of a business. Work-related stress is increasing from year to year. Moreover, the number of stress-related diseases and the number of sick days due to mental health issues are increasing as well. In Germany, this number went up about 34% in the 3. quarter of 2022. The reduction of stress and the improvement of focus at work leads to more productivity and fewer absences. Of course, good well-being is key to our growth as human beings. This leads to a more healthy society.

How can we find the best way to relax at the end of our busy year and get the most from our family time together?

The end of the year is often a time when work-related stress increases, while expectations are high around the holiday season. Everyone wants to celebrate the most beautiful Yuletide season and spend a relaxing time with their loved ones.

So there are different possibilities to approach this:

Work life: From the employer's point of view it’s clear: you want as many projects done as possible to meet your goals. You also want to start the new year with focus and a good plan, so you are trying to motivate the employees to keep up the energy level, BUT the thing is: the new year starts directly after this sprint to the finish line and what we surely don’t want is exhausted employees, right? You might say „ Get some rest over the holidays!“ But hold on a second: Everyone who has ever prepared a family Christmas knows what that means. The expectations are high!

So here is the key: Can we find commitments of work to define, what the priorities are, so we have a balance between business needs and the employee's stress levels and long-term health? For employees, this also means setting clear boundaries and speaking up for yourself. Because getting everything done comes at a price for you AND the company. If you get it done this time, you can add a little more next time, right?

Private life: It sure is nice to go to Christmas markets, bake cookies, and see all of your friends and family at this cozy time of the year, but: what happens, if we miss out on one or two of these nice little events? I believe it’s crucial to set boundaries in our private lives and manage expectations as well. Your kids will probably not remember how nicely decorated the house looked, but they will remember, what it made them feel like, to spend time with you. Having a great family experience on Christmas can also happen, without a five-course menu. ;-)

Finally, mindset is key: Christmas should meet your needs and doesn’t need to look like a Pinterest board! It’s not an endless checklist with things to be done and when all boxes are ticked off, it’s a perfect Christmas. Get together with your loved ones and ask them what they want, have an exchange of ideas, and then make a plan of what’s possible. Especially when „the mother-in-law “ is coming over - no judgment, no comparisons! Your Christmas - your house - your rules! ;-) Set up a positive mindset by being thankful for finally being together again after 2 years of pandemic and isolation!

How important is a gathering together at the end of the year for a company and  all of their staff?

I believe it’s really important to celebrate all the achievements of the year and see colleagues in a different and festive environment, forgetting about work life and all the hassle of the past months. It’s also a nice gesture to thank the team for all the effort and achievements.

Are there any particular traditions or memories from your own upbringing that bring you particular joy at this time of year?

My very early Christmas eve memories at my grandma’s house are the best. We always went to church and when we came home afterward I had to go to my room and play or someone read Christmas stories to me. At some point, the bell rang and I was allowed to enter the living room. When the living room’s doors were opened, I saw a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with lit candles and lots of presents underneath. As far as I remember, we had dinner first (my grandma was a wonderful chef). Afterward, we unwrapped the gifts. Most of the time, I got something I wished for and started playing immediately. The whole atmosphere was so nice and mysterious.