How to survive the holidays with your career intact

It’s officially the holiday season, and you know what that means. Office parties, maybe Secret Santa gift exchanges, client events, and rich food and drink. Plus the perils of too much alcohol and too much information being shared. Given all of that, how do you survive the holidays with your career intact? Is it really possible to do the holidays at work like a boss?

what’s the best way to navigate the holidays at work?

We asked our C-Suite Council to weigh in on this pressing matter, and they concluded that there are 12 key tips that will enable you to survive the holidays with your career intact. Follow these closely, and you might do more than survive – you might actually thrive this holiday season at work.

Before we begin, it goes without saying – but we’ll say it anyway. You must not drop the ball on anything at the office during the holiday season. Not one single thing. Ever.

And no, we aren’t sharing 12 holiday survival tips because of the 12 days of Christmas. But if that helps you remember — or if you want to set these to music — we say go for it.

12 tips for surviving the holidays with your career intact

1. Show up.

That’s the first rule that one of our mentors shared with us, and it has proven to be true. You’re going to get invitations to events from clients and colleagues. There’s going to be some kind of party at work – perhaps big and splashy, perhaps just a low-key lunch. Even at the smallest or most frugal workplace, there’s like to be something. You need to go. To everything. Don’t be confused on this point: people definitely remember who showed up for their social event and who didn’t. There is no excuse good enough to satisfy people when they’ve put real time and effort into a holiday event. So just go.

2. Make your presence felt.

Just because you have to go to a number of social events doesn’t mean you have to stay long. Cocktail parties are your friend here. Walk in the door telling yourself that you’re staying for 15-30 minutes. Find the host and greet them effusively. Do not feel any obligation to eat or drink anything. If you don’t know anyone in the room, circulate clockwise around the perimeter and see who’s willing to make eye contact with you. Fall into a short chat with whoever seems open to it. And after a few minutes, excuse yourself, say you’re going to get something to drink, and move on. Repeat as necessary until the allotted time is up. Then slip out. No need to announce your departure. Send a gracious thank-you the following day to your host. And you’re done.

3. Pace yourself.

Having said that you need to make at least a drive-by appearance at the events to which you’re invited, it’s also important to pace yourself. Set a time limit for social engagements and stick to it – if you have to be out at 9:00P, for example, make that happen. Sleep is key to your mental and physical health – try not to build up too deep a deficit in your sleep bank during the week.

4. Maybe don’t drink anything.

This one’s controversial, of course. But as one of our former bosses told us, “nothing good ever happens when the bar is open at the office party too long.” For us, it’s more about calorie control than potentially getting out of control. Taking a pass on the booze will save you a good 300 calories per day. And that’s a lot.

5. Bring healthy snacks.

On a related note, one of our most significant holiday stressors is eating too much, followed by remorse, guilt and self-criticism. We don’t always make time for our exercise routine during the holidays, which just exacerbates the problem. One fix is to keep portable healthy snacks at hand. Fruit, cut vegetables, a package of almonds, a yogurt. That sort of thing. Consume a healthy snack before you head out for the evening’s festivities, and it can only help prevent you from over-indulging later.

6. Commit to a uniform.

For women in particular, part of the work-related holiday stress is what to wear to all of these social engagements. Our advice is simple: pick a uniform, and stick with it for the entire month of December. For many, it’s going to be basic black: a dress or a pantsuit that you can wear all day, swapping out accessories to transform for the evening. Sparking earrings, a faux fur scarf, a cool pair of shoes – it’s really easy to get party-ready after work if your base is neutral and flexible. And on the shoes, for those who like us dwell in a large metropolis – there are party-ready shoes in every heel height, as well as flats right now. Take advantage of that. We don’t need to tell you that whatever you’re wearing shouldn’t be too tight, too short or too low-cut, right? Just checking. ‘Cause this a professional engagement. You know what we’re saying.

7. What about gifts for people at work?

The pressing matter of gifts at the office is so complex that we’ve written an entire post on it. You can read it here.

8. What about holiday greetings?

Personally, we think it’s a lovely idea to send an electronic greeting toward the end of the holiday season. If you’ve got the time and the inclination, by all means send hand-written notes. But an e-greeting is just as good (maybe better, because it doesn’t lead to a huge pile of mail for your recipient to deal with as they’re rushing to get out of the office for the holiday break).

9. What about decorating my desk/cubicle/office for the holiday?

It depends. Candidly, if you’re trying to position yourself as senior management material, at most companies where we’ve worked, we’d suggest a pass on the office holiday decor. It could be viewed as a distraction by those above you. Ditto being seen returning to the office with shopping bags. Sure, you’re totally allowed to spend your lunch time shopping. But it still won’t win you any style points in the office.

On the other hand, if you’re totally confident and secure in your role, or don’t want to play by rules, then why not decorate if you want to? It will definitely cheer people up. The one thing you can never do, though, is mock someone else’s holiday decor at the office. That would just be mean.

An easy compromise? Keep a small vase filled with candy canes on your desk and offer them to one and all. They’re fun, festive, and reasonably low-cal. Win-win!

10. Clear your desk before you leave for the holiday break.

If you’re going away or taking a stay-cation for a week or more at the end of the year, you have to clear your desk before you go. Otherwise, it’s a certainty that something you left undone is going to demand your attention when you least want to be bothered. You can’t prevent unexpected issues from cropping up while you’re away. But you can definitely do everything in your power to be sure that there are no loose threads before you head out for the holiday. Plan for this “desk clearing” to take at least a couple of days.

11. Lend a hand (or a shoulder) at the office.

More than at other times of the year, we find that our colleagues, direct reports and office friends sometimes need our help at the holidays. Sometimes its workload-related – it’s budgeting and compensation season for many, and newcomers in particular can start to drown. Sometimes it’s personal – the first holiday after a loss, frustrations with family, or money issues. Whatever the case, try to be extra-empathetic at this time of year. The hand you offer, or the lightness of spirit you can bring to a room, or the sympathetic shoulder you can provide, will be remembered in the New Year and beyond. The holidays can be very tough. You can be that person who makes them just a little bit easier for the people at work.

12. One last tip: try to find moments during the work day to actually enjoy yourself.

Maybe you love parties. So have fun at them! Maybe you like wandering the city when you have a short break, admiring the holiday decorations. Make time for that. With any luck, your year-end vacation is on the horizon. December doesn’t last forever. So don’t forget to savor it, at least a little. And then get back to work.

How to survive the holidays with your career intact

That’s it – our 12 tips on how to survive the holidays with your career intact. Now get out there and make stuff happen. You got this, boss.