The holidays and festivities are now in full swing but you may still not be quite switched off from work just yet. You may still be checking your emails, taking calls or keeping an eye on the sales figures. According to one study conducted a few years ago it takes an average of five days to get fully into the ‘holiday mode’ and forget about work. Some of us never quite manage it – it found though that 18% of us never completely relax and switch off from out jobs.
However, it is important to take time out from work and spend time with the family. We spend so much time during the year stressing over work that we find little time to relax. And by the time we feel mildly at ease on the weekends then it’s over and the work cycle starts all over again.
While (some) family can drive you mad this is the time of the year where would generally get most of your time off. So try to switch off from the work madness – even if you are on call. Have some one on one time with your kids, speak to aunt Betty that you never get the chance to see and give your partner the attention he or she deserves.
The UK insurance industry has seen its fair share of disasters this year (both natural and man-made) and 2018 is poised to have its own set of challenges. There’ll be plenty of things to keep us busy, including regulatory changes, the Brexit saga, and there’ll be lots of claims that will need resolving.
We’ll need to put our minds to our businesses and find ways of doing things better in 2018. We’ll have to think about whether we have adequate systems in place to ensure we run our businesses efficiently. Do we have good security? Can we protect our businesses in the event of a cyber attack? Is our data safe and are we compliant with looming regulatory changes? These are the types of questions we’ll have to answer next year. And it may be difficult addressing all these challenges.
But this is why it’s so important to take time off during the festive season. There’ll be plenty of things to keep us busy next year and if we keep our minds whirring around the list of things we need to do then we’ll never completely relax. We’ll be entering 2018 just as frazzled as we were in 2017. What would be the point of that?
So put that laptop away and don’t constantly look at your phone. If you’re driving that WhatsApp message can wait till you arrive at your destination. If you’re on a beach holiday enjoy the surf and the sand between your toes. If you’re at home, gather the family around for a game or two by the fire. Spend some quality time with your friends too. You may not get the opportunity when you get back to work.
