Working during Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and food… that is, if you aren’t the person running around to coordinate all the logistics for a big family dinner, managing family travel, school schedules, and office deliverables. Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season, but it’s also a lot to handle, especially for working parents. That’s where having a good work habit system is needed, so that one can balance the week and make it a lot easier to spend time with family. Here are a couple of ways to do so:

1. Plan ahead and get ahead of the short week

   1. Thanksgiving week is already compressed. Some companies only give Thursday and Friday off, but most schools let children off from Monday through Friday. Adapting to the chaos can be difficult as the normal, usual routine starts to change quickly. Download and try using April on Sunday night. April is a voice-powered AI assistant that helps boost your efficiency by managing your email and calendar. On Sunday, ask for a run-through of your week. You’ll get a big picture view of the important meetings, emails, and free time you have for personal time or school pick-ups. Instead of managing everything in your head, you have a clear idea of what to do and when. 

2. Manage your inbox while traveling

   1. Holiday travel is already hectic enough, with rushing to the airport, packing gifts for family, planning an itinerary, and packing clothes. While families have the week off, your inbox doesn’t. While loading the car, waiting in line for airport security, or packing your suitcase, ask April to catch you up on the essential emails from the day. Being able to catch up on the go will allow you to be fully present and take advantage of the moments in between activities. April automatically filters the unimportant emails, such as the same promotional Black Friday email you’re getting or low-priority threads that can wait until next week. You’ll get the most relevant and updated information instead of sifting through everything.

3. Savor your time with family without falling behind on work

   1. The constant switching between family mode and work mode can be difficult, especially the mental drain. April helps create clear boundaries without letting anything slip away. Before stepping into family time, whether it’s cooking a traditional Thanksgiving meal with the little ones or watching a movie with extended family, ask April if you have anything to do before logging off for the day. This will help create a clear distinction and allow you to fully enjoy time with others.

4. Reset before returning to work

   1. The Monday right after break is also a time of stress, and should be considered right before your week back starts. After getting much-needed rest throughout the week, feel free to ask April to catch you up on what your other colleagues did and see if there’s anything you missed over the break from others after doing your proactive work. You can also ask April to plan a catch-up call or sync on your calendar with fellow colleagues to get a better overview in person. 

Working parents balance a lot during the holidays; they are the invisible backbone holding up the festivities. Whether it's the dads cooking the turkey, moms arranging the dinner parties, or any roles in between, managing family time on top of work can be stressful. Luckily, April is here to help. Hopefully, you learned a couple of strategies to balance it all and have a restful, relaxing holiday season. Download April for yourself and try it out today, so that you can add it to your gratitude list when you go around the dinner table on Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving from April!