24 excuses to have at work during holiday time

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24 excuses to have fun

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Activity: Write down three things you are grateful for at work. Share them with everyone or with the people who contribute to that sense of gratitude (if you feel comfortable).Mental Health Tip: Practicing gratitude increases happiness and well-being. Acknowledging the good can improve your outlook, especially during stressful times.

Quick Gratitude Exercise

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Practicing gratitude also means celebrating small victories and small moments of life. See here how you can improve your mental health by practicing gratitude and celebrating every moment of your life. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2022/11/practicing-gratitude/

Activity: If you're in the office swap small desk decorations with a colleague. If working from home, challenge someone to add a personal touch to their workspace (including virtual workspace).DEIB Tip: Respecting each other's workspaces and preferences builds an environment of belonging. Celebrate the uniqueness of your colleagues!

Desk Decor Swap

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Xmas time can be a source of overstimulation for introverted and neurodivergent people. Here are some tips to unwind or to help someone easier overcome the holiday season. https://www.expansiveheart.com/blog/highly-sensitive-holiday

Activity: As a team, create a shared playlist for the holidays. Everyone can add their favorite holiday songs (fun or relaxing).DEIB Tip: Music can be a wonderful way to connect, even when we come from different backgrounds. Celebrate diversity through shared tunes!

Holiday Playlist Collaboration

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If you want to know more about Diversity and inclusion through and within music, check this out: https://sms.aec-music.eu/diversity-identity-inclusiveness/Diversity, Identity, Inclusiveness - AEC - Strengthening Music in SocietyIn an area as important as music and culture, we must advocate equal opportunity and diversity in education. What adjustments can institutions make...AEC - Strengthening Music in Society https://sms.aec-music.eu/diversity-identity-inclusiveness/

Activity: Share your favorite holiday tradition. It can be a family tradition, a work-related custom, or something you do personally.Mental Health Tip: Sharing traditions helps us feel connected and supported. We are all part of a diverse team, and each tradition brings something valuable to the table.

Share Your Favorite Holiday Tradition

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Creating your holiday traditions can help deal with holiday blues or depression. See here a testimony that can help you see you are not alone: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/your-stories/christmas-isn-t-the-same-without-ruth/

Activity: Share a favorite holiday snack or meal recipe . If working remotely, try making it at home and share photos.Mental Health Tip: Food brings people together and sharing meals or recipes fosters connections and joy.Extra DEIB TIP: By sharing food with others, we connect as humans and learn more about one another's experiences and identities.

Favorite Holiday Snack Recipe

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Hey, despite food being a social fuel, some people might have food sensitivities, allergies, intolerances, or strains regarding their religion or culture. See here how we work together to make group gatherings inclusive and foster a safe and mentally healthy environment for all: https://www.benonscatering.co.uk/blog/inclusive-cuisine-the-top-10-vital-tips-for-catering-to-dietary-requirements-at-events

Activity: Take a 5-minute guided meditation (there are apps or online videos available for this) or simply 5 minutes for deep breathing, slow water drinking (a big cup) or any other relaxing and mental unloading activity.Mental Health Tip: Taking short, mindful breaks throughout the day can reduce stress and help you stay present.

5 Minute Meditation Break

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Do you want to know more about mindfulness? See here how you can practice and how it can improve your mental health (includes a YouTube video): https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/mindfulness/about-mindfulness/

Activity: "Imagine a world where you can succeed by being nice. Where we all pay it forward." This is moto of Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Today, practice a random act of kindness, pay it forward! Mental Health Tip: Small acts of kindness can improve your own well-being as much as the recipient's.

Random Act of Kindness

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Visit The Random Act of Kindness Foundation and share the cause with others. Move along and see how Norm transforms his workplace with the power of kindness! https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-at-work

Activity: Share with the Team your favourite holiday movie or book. Go ahead and tellls why. DEIB Tip: Storytelling is a universal connector. Listening to diverse stories helps broaden our understanding and fosters empathy.

Share Your Favorite Holiday Movie or Book

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Check this article on Harvard Business Review by Selena Rezvani - award-winning journalist, and Stacey A. Gordon - Diversity Diva. https://hbr.org/2021/11/how-sharing-our-stories-builds-inclusion

Activity: Share Holiday-related facts, pop culture and other trivia. Have fun and amaze everyone with that knowledge that you thought no one would care! Mental Health Tip: Games, trivia and light-hearted competition help stimulate creativity and bonding, contributing to mental relaxation.

Holiday Trivia

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See more about how trivia and games are our mind's best friends: https://quizrunners.com/blogs/how-to-host-a-quiz-night/trivia-and-the-mind-a-deep-divesrsltid=AfmBOoo0CaWNrQWwcJa7GxYe8EBSAkXeE3FsodYnC_kNXeH_Ad7UmKRo

Activity: Get together for 5 min to share a hot beverage (tea, coffee, hot chocolate). Are you WFH? Get together virtually and bring your cozy blanket) Mental Health Tip: Taking a break to socialize, even virtually, can provide a welcome mental rest and foster a sense of community.

Hot Beverage Cheers

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The "Workplace strategies for Mental Health - Compliments of Canada Life" website has a bunch of ideas on how to take relaxing breaks at work. Get inspired here: https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/resources/calming-break-activities

Activity: Give at least one sincere compliment to a colleague today. Go beyond and reach that collegue that doesen´t work so often with you. Mental Health Tip: Complimenting others boosts their confidence and helps you feel good too. It's a win-win!

Random compliment Day

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Why is it important to compliment our colleagues? See here: https://blog.smilingmind.com.au/the-art-and-science-of-compliments-in-the-workplace

Activity: Share one thing you’d love to do during the holidays, whether it’s big or small.Mental Health Tip: Having personal goals or things to look forward to can help reduce stress and increase motivation.

Holiday Bucket List

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On Mindtools you can find the best advice on how to set goals. See here: https://www.mindtools.com/a5ykiuq/personal-goal-setting

Activity: Create a vision board for the new year using images, quotes, or words that represent their hopes and goals. This can be done digitally or on paper.Mental Health Tip: Vision boards help manifest goals and provide focus. Visualizing success is a powerful mental health tool!

Vision Board for the New Year

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See some vision board ideas here: https://pt.pinterest.com/scrappinmichele/vision-board-samples/

Activity: Today is public holiday! Wrap a gift (or something) in an original ans sustainable way. share with team and see if you are the GOAT of gift wrapping. Mental Health Tip: Taking time to slow down, even for simple tasks like gift-wrapping, can help clear your mind and improve focus.

Gift wrapping

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Get inspired here: https://mindfulofthehome.com/eco-friendly-gift-wrapping-ideas/

Activity: Share a photo or video of your pet ready for the Holiday time! You don't have pets? Share a photo of your plants? You don't have plants? Well, our pets will judge you, not us, of course. Mental Health Tip: Spending time with pets (or seeing photos of pets) has been shown to reduce stress and increase happiness. Plus, they’re adorable!

Pet Parade

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Why seeing cute photos of animals make us happy? See here: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-cute-photos-of-animals-make-us-happier-10332916.html

Activity: Play a fun holiday song and stretch or dance for the entire time! The important thing is: Move your body! Mental Health Tip: Moving your body—even for a few minutes—boosts energy, reduces stress, and improves overall well-being.

3 minute Stretch or Dance

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See here some tips for "deskercise": https://www.healthline.com/health/deskercise#7 The Ultimate 'Deskercise' Routine: Stretches for the OfficeNeck and shoulder pain are common in sedentary jobs. Get loosened up and work out the kinks with these 12 exercises you can do at your...Healthline

Activity: write a Holiday E-card to a colleague or the whole team. takethe tme to express gratitude, to share positive thoughts and to have Fun! Mental Health Tip: Sending a thoughtful note creates connection and positive emotions—for both the sender and the receiver.

Holiday card

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Have you tried JibJab? Give it a chance: https://www.jibjab.com/browse/free-ecards

Activity: Call someone who doesn't work at Porto Office just to say "Hi, I remembered you and wanted to see how you doing!" Have fun! DEIB Tip: Calling someone who doesn't work on site with us showing that we care regardless of the distance makes people feel like they belong, also, increases bonding and make other people feel important and valued.

Call a collegue at Eindhoven

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See here 6 ideas on how to bond with remote colleagues: https://dontpanicmgmt.com/ways-to-bond-with-remote-coworkers/ 6 Ways to Bond With Remote Coworkers on Your Team - Don't Panic ManagementOver the years, a lot of research and effort has gone into figuring out how to bond teams together and build camaraderie among coworkers. A bonded...Don't Panic Management - Proactive, neighborly virtual assistants to help you turn chaos into contentment, frustration into focus, and panic into productivity.

Activity: Tell us your best SFW holiday Jokes!DEIB Tip: Humor allows us to express ouselves authentically, fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding. That's what inclusion is really all about.

Holiday Humour

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To Know more about Humor and Inclusion listen to Vanessa Marcie Ted-X talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/vanessa_marcie_conscious_humour_to_foster_inclusion_and_diversity?subtitle=en

Activity: Let's start planning next year: share some Diversity, inclusion, and equity holidays so we can all celebrate them next year. DEIB Tip: DEIB holidays often recognize the cultural, religious, and social identities of different groups, allowing employees to feel seen, heard, and valued. This is a powerful way to promote a sense of belonging, a cornerstone of inclusion.

Holiday DEI Calendar

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See some DEIB holidays here: https://www.diversityresources.com/diversity-calendar-2024/

Activity: If your life was a Christmas movie how you would name it? Who would you pick to represent you? Share it with us if you feel confortable. DEIB Tip: Understandig that holidays have a different impact in everyone is the first step to create a safe environment this time of the year and create a culture of true inclusion.

My life as a Xmas movie

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MindTales is here to educate us on Holiday stress: https://www.mindtales.me/the-impact-of-holiday-stress-on-employee-mental-health/ The Impact of Holiday Stress on Employee Mental Health - MindTalesThe holiday season is often characterised by joy, celebration, and spending quality time with loved ones. However, for many employees, it can also...MindTales

Activity: Share with us what you most definitely will not be doing this holiday time! DEIB Tip: Diferent people have diferent tradition, sensitivities and tastes, but, what if you find someone who understands you and relates with you? That is belonging.

"No Go" Bucket List

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Emotional intelligence is key to creating a culture of belonging. See here how you can do your part as a college: https://www.loveyourworkinglife.com/blog/how-to-be-more-relatable-at-work

Activity: As 2024 comes to an end, please share the best advice you received from anyone in this company this year.Mental Health Tip: Sharing and Active listening are powrfull tools to overcome stressfull situations and being on you collegaue's corner.

Best Advice

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We have a lot to learn with Kids, see and listen here the advice from Adora Svitak: https://www.ted.com/talks/adora_svitak_what_adults_can_learn_from_kids?referrer=playlist-smart_kids_life_advice&autoplay=true&subtitle=en