The holidays are a busy time for most of us and with that comes a lot of distraction, stress, fatigue and loss of focus. These are all things that can negatively affect our safety.
Holiday Distractions:
It’s important to be aware that these conditions may be occurring not only with ourselves, but with our co-workers:
• Pressures to finish projects by the end of the year or before a vacation/shut down;
• Stress from the financial impact the holidays can have on some of us;
• Stress from feeling there’s not enough time to “get it all done”;
• Rushing to get things accomplished so we can go home;
• Family commitments, evening events, parties to attend or get ready for;
• The effects of working longer hours for overtime pay or to accomplish tasks (stress, lack of sleep); and,
• And sometimes the holidays are a very hard and depressing time for some, so there are co-workers dealing with emotional stress generated by the season.
All of these can cause us to lose focus and overlook hazards we may normally catch.
How to Better Cope With Them:
• Be mindful that this is a time that all of us can lose focus, so if you find your mind wandering, stop and refocus on your task. Be on the lookout for your co-workers and help each other stay on task. When we lose focus is when safety hazards are missed and accidents occur.
• Don’t rush or cut corners, this can lead to mistakes and the need to redo work which will cause you twice the time and effort.
• When moving from task to task, take 4 seconds to stop and survey the hazards around you
• Plan, plan, plan! If you come up with a plan and/or a schedule to get your personal and work tasks accomplished (and the sooner you do it) the less likely you’ll be as stressed about what needs to be done.
• Prioritize both at work and at home. What has to be done, and what can wait until after the holidays? What can you take off your list? And then, what can you scale back on at home? Some people want the holidays to be perfect, but do they really need to be perfect? Sometimes taking one more thing off your list will make a big difference in reducing stress.
• Make sure you’re eating right. You need to feed that engine that’s needed to keep you going to get your stuff done.
• Stick to the same sleep schedule and make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep will cause you to be less focused and more stressed.
• Take it easy on the alcohol.
• Be extra mindful for housekeeping. Sometimes visual clutter can cause mental clutter. Plus ensuring proper housekeeping will also remove hazards that could cause issues if you or your coworkers are not paying close attention.
• The holidays can be a sad and depressing time for some, so be on the lookout for your coworkers. If you are the one feeling depressed, seek a counselor to help or talk to someone about it. If you see a colleague having struggles, let their supervisor know and be there for each other.
• Don’t forget to breathe! Take deep breaths to calm and refocus. Take slow, deep breaths. Inhale, count to 3 slowly and gradually exhale. Do this for 4-5 repetitions to help you feel more relaxed.