Tools to allow you to take a break over the holidays
The holiday hustle and bustle is right around the corner and while we’re holiday shopping, spending time with family and friends, and celebrating, it’s important to get some much needed rest as well.
So if you’re hoping to take a much needed break this holiday season, here are some tools, both professional and personal, to help you take a break!
Later
Later is a social media management platform that allows you to schedule your content (among its other features). This is a great tool to use because it means you can sit down and create content when you have the time and then schedule it ahead of time. You also have the choice of having push notifications sent to you as a reminder to post or it can auto publish content for you. This means less time posting over the holidays and more time enjoying your break.
Later is one of many social media management platforms, but you can also schedule content through many social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and even LinkedIn!
Mailchimp
Let’s be honest, you probably don’t want to be working on your newsletter or small business emails during your break, right? Mailchimp enables you to design your campaigns and schedule them!
To learn more about the pros and cons of marketing automation tools like Later and Mailchimp, check out our blog, Pros and Cons of marketing automation.
Speaking of automation, don’t forget to set the out of office autoreply on your email too!
Apple Music or Spotify
A music app is a great tool to help you take a break, you can play a fun but festive playlist or your go-to feel good mix and then have your own little dance party to boost your mood. On the other hand, you can play some classic and/or mellow holiday music, grab a beverage like a hot chocolate or your fav wine and then have a cozy night in relaxing.
Bonus: So many of the apps you use everyday can help you take a break and relax. You can throw on a podcast (i.e. on the Apple Podcast app) and do something relaxing like a walk or one of your fav hobbies, even something festive like making a gingerbread house. Or if you’re like me, you might put on YouTube and listen to some ASMR while relaxing.
Use Daily Limit Reminders
Taking a break, especially from social media is easier said than done, especially if you’re a small business owner. You’re probably going to need or want to check your socials, especially if you’re a one person show. That’s totally understandable and you should still have some sort of presence on socials, but it’s still important to take a break. Social media apps like Instagram have built in time management tools to help you manage your time. For example, you may decide that you want to only spend 45 minutes a day on social media during the holidays, on Instagram you can select this time (among several other choices), and you will receive a reminder when you’re close to reaching the time limit you have selected.
Not only can you select limit reminders for social media, but many phones will also have features to limit general screen time. So if you’re hoping to cut down on screen time during the holidays, these can help you manage your time and remind you to stop scrolling!
For most, the holiday break is probably still at least a month or so away, but we’re hoping everyone has a great and restful holiday!
P.S. This blog is all about getting the break you need and deserve so that you can take care of yourself, enjoy yourself, and feel your best, but, we know the reality is that the holiday season can be particularly tough for many, if you’re having a difficult time, here is a list of Canadian resources for mental health support.