5 keys to battle holiday stress at work

Conscious of the sensitivity of our current economic climate, one in five companies have decided to do away with -  or scale down the holiday office party, according to workplace consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. It might not have been a big morale booster -  or stress reducer in any event. So why spend the cash?

But the real moral of the story is that no one at work is going to take away the load of stress that been accumulating throughout the year. Tackling it head-on on your own, might be your best bet. Here are five proactive keys to battle holiday stress at work.

1. Don't take anything personally. This is key to your own sanity. The holidays bring up a lot of old stuff for people, and they generally take it to work. You never know what's going on in another person's world at home. If someone is in a grizzly mood, it doesn't mean their anger is being directed at you.
2. Respond, don't react. If someone snaps at you, take a moment to step back and just listen. Count to three if you have to. Again, it's a sensitive time of year. Responding from a place of wisdom and detachment goes a long way toward avoiding being sucked up into someone else's drama.
3. Relinquish attachment to fixing all the problems at work. I recently had a client who took great effort to appease the boss, while trying to take care of everyone at work. She spent so much time doing this and getting involved in other people's dramas -  that she drove herself into a place of constant anxiety. Surrender to the concept that you simply can't please everyone all of the time.
4. Cultivate resilience at work. It's up to you to come up with your own stress buster which will allow you to relax, while giving you the fuel you need to keep your energy up during the stressful end of year -  holiday mix. It might be a walk, some deep breathing, exercise, or simply listening to a few tunes on your ipod. Find a way to drink as you pour.
5. Organize a group service project. It's really simple, service to another makes you forget your own problems, even for a few moments. We're all on deadlines, but a group workplace project goes a long way toward building camaraderie and morale. Some offices put a day aside to work together on a community project, others collect toys for needy children.

We're in rough economic times, and no one at work is going to take the bundle of stress off your shoulders during the holiday. It's up to you to take the bull by the horns. Design your own personal stress buster. If you'd like a head start, check out my CD - Practical Chaos: Reflections on Resilience. If you click here you can download a free breathing exercise called the Breath of Awareness.