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How to survive being home for the holidays
"I'm on a call, Mom!"
Hi friends! And welcome to our final WorkDaze of the year. ❣️ It’s been such a great ride, and our whole team is feeling extra lucky we get to do this with you. Lots to be grateful for and excited about!
One other thing: If you’re still looking for the perfect white elephant gift for your coworkers to fight over…we got you! Check out our 2023 WorkDaze Gift Guide for a little gift-giving inspo.
Today’s tunes: Rumor has it that Britney’s original lyrics were “Santa Can You Hear Me? (I don’t want to work next year).” Just a rumor!
—Rod
Boundaries To Set When You’re Home for the Holidays
If I had a nickel for every time my mom has walked in while I’m on an important call working from my parents’ house, I’d be vibing on a beach instead of trying to get the recommended daily amount of vitamin D from my desk happy light.
Why do parents almost universally not get their adult children’s jobs? And why does it drive us so crazy that our parents are still asking us about grad school? I don’t know everything, but I do know this:
Heading home to celebrate the holidays is exciting, but it can also be stress-inducing. So we’re here today to give you some pointers on how to enjoy time at home without losing your mind.
Welcome to the WorkDaze Home-for-the-Holidays Survival Guide.
What to do when politics come up at the dinner table. Look, you’ll never agree with your dad’s great-uncle’s voting record, so it’s best to not even engage if the topic comes up. To avoid the risk of storming out before dessert is served, a simple “agree to disagree” attitude and topic switch is completely acceptable.
What to say when you don’t want to talk about work. There’s always that one random family member who insists on only talking about work when it’s quite literally the last thing you want to do. You can politely answer a few of their high-level Qs about your title and responsibility before saying, “I only have a few days off of work, and I’d rather not think about it.” Easy peasy, and now you can ask that family member about what you’re really interested in: What were your parents like in their 20s?
What to do when you hit your limit on family time. Just because you’re sleeping in your childhood bedroom with an A*Teens poster on your wall doesn’t mean you’re 12 years old again. It’s okay to take some time alone, even if that means sitting in silence for 10 minutes after practically screaming in your grandma’s “good ear” for the last two days. Here’s your regularly scheduled reminder that you’re an adult and it’s totally okay for you to tell your parents you need to take a solo walk.
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The Worst Gifts WorkDaze Readers Have Ever Received
My work gave the marketing department socks with “Advertising and Communications” on them. 🥴 —V.
We recently polled some of you on the very worst gifts you’ve ever gotten from your employers…and I spit out my iced coffee reading many of these. Hey Siri, what’s the opposite of a gift guide?
A T-shirt that I was required to wear for a mandatory unpaid event. —W.
My company didn’t pay anyone on time, but we had cookies with our faces on them —M.
A Happy Holidays email —H.
The presents got worse each year. My first year started with luggage and my last year ended with a dopp kit. —J.
Coolers for our vacations that never got approved —J.
A stress ball and a note saying they appreciate us but appreciate was spelled wrong. —K.
Got a Q for me to A? Submit yours here.
Things To Send Your Work Besties
…while you watch your fourth Hallmark holiday movie of the day.
We 🫶 our public libraries! A new study found that Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to visit libraries than older generations, with more than half of those surveyed saying they borrow both physical and digital books.
The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants 🤝 Barbie. It was the reunion we definitely all needed when Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn showed up to support their SOTP co-star America Ferrera for her role in Barbie.
Credit: Blake Lively’s Instagram
Candles and carbs? Sign me up. The viral butter candle is a fun and cozy recipe for whatever event is next on your holiday agenda.
That’s all for today…and the rest of 2023! Our team is taking a nice little break next week, but don’t worry; we’ll be back in your inboxes in the new year!
IDK WHAT DO I KNOW?! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
—Rod
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