This holiday season, it seems Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” isn’t the earworm it usually is. Many workers are finding it hard to flip the switch on to “holiday brain.” A recent Glassdoor Community poll* asked, “Is your workload keeping you from getting into holiday mode at work?” An overwhelming number of professionals said yes.
The rundown: More than 70% of workers said they are struggling to feel festive this year. This sentiment rang especially true for respondents aged 26 to 40, indicating that millennials and Gen Z employees may be feeling the load a little more than older generations in the workplace. When asked why, workers shared that the top factors were economic uncertainty, work stress, and personal challenges.
Zoom in: The current state of the economy has workers not only feeling stuck at work but also in work mode, despite the upcoming holiday break. The 29% of respondents who said they’re easing into the holiday spirit felt a sense of hope and positive life changes ahead. But, both the “bah humbug” and cheerful workers named family as a source of both support and stress. For the former, stress was around family tensions related to politics.
In the wake of the recent election, a separate poll revealed that 59% of professionals are feeling an increased level of incivility and tension between co-workers. Collectively, this anxiousness could be making it tough for workers to re-find their footing in the workplace and maintain true separation between life and work, post-election.
There’s good news: If you fall into the group of people who are trying to find cheer, despite your biggest holiday stressors, Glassdoor Community members have several helpful tips for reducing stress at work and feeling more festive.
One suggests starting with community service.
“If you want traditional holiday spirit, start doing more traditional holiday things. This feeling comes by prioritizing others over self: start serving others,” said a professional from TSYS.
Another commenter provided a list.
“I understand this feeling - the holidays can be challenging when work stress makes it hard to feel festive. Here are some gentle suggestions that might help: Create clear work boundaries, Engage your senses in holiday activities, Start small with traditions, and Connect with others.”
A director of human resources said, “I have started a lot of my shopping online. Less hectic than going to the stores.”
“This year, I plan to minimize the amount of decorating I am doing. I typically go all out and this year I am thinking less is more.”
However you flip the holiday switch, workers consistently emphasize prioritizing your mental health to avoid burnout. Look for more advice on Glassdoor Community.
*Methodology: This poll ran from November 18, 2024 through November 20, 2024 and was answered by over 2,000 U.S. professionals. Respondents could answer with either “Yes” or “No” to the question, “Is your workload keeping you from getting into holiday mode at work?” For subgroup breakouts including age, gender identity, and industry, all categories received at least 100 responses from U.S. professionals on the platform.