Creative Ways to De-Stress the Holiday Season at Work

The holiday season is often described as “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for many employees, it feels more like the busiest. December brings deadlines, year-end reporting, family obligations, travel, financial pressures, and the expectation to keep everything cheerful while juggling it all.

For many workplaces, this is the exact moment when stress spikes and energy tanks.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Workplace wellness doesn’t require elaborate programs or expensive initiatives, especially during the holiday season. Sometimes the most impactful strategies are simple, human, and infused with a little creativity. If you're a team leader or part of a wellness committee, these fresh, fun, non-cliché ways to reduce holiday stress at work will help your team de-stress, reconnect, and actually enjoy the season.

1. 15-Min ‘Warm Beverage’ Walks

Instead of a traditional meeting, designate a team member to lead a 15-minute warm beverage walk — tea, cider, hot chocolate, anything goes. Walk around the building or outside if weather allows.The combination of movement + warmth + daylight is an underrated way to support employee wellbeing during the holiday season. It resets the nervous system without needing meditations or mindfulness scripts.

2. The ‘Give Yourself a Break’ Raffle

Place a jar in a common area. Every time someone takes a real break (not emailing at their desk or scrolling), they drop in a ticket. At the end of the week, draw a small holiday-themed prize.

You’re rewarding the habit of stopping, pausing, and recharging — without lecturing people to “take breaks.” It’s simple, fun, and reinforces healthy micro-habits.

3. A Collective ‘Un-Do List’ Board

Create a physical board or shared Slack/Teams thread where people add one thing they’re not doing this holiday season. Examples:

• “Not hosting this year.”

• “Not baking six kinds of cookies.”

• “Not buying extravagant gifts.”

Seeing coworkers release unnecessary obligations is validating — and gives others permission to do the same. It’s one of the most effective wellness committee ideas for December because it acknowledges real life, not unrealistic expectations.

4. Calm Corners (But Make Them Seasonal)

Set up a small “holiday calm corner” with cozy lighting, a pine-scented diffuser, seasonal colouring pages, and a small puzzle or fidget toy.

Employees can pop in for 5 minutes — a micro-reset that feels playful rather than clinical. This type of creative workplace stress-relief idea can make a bigger difference than a formal wellness seminar.

5. The ‘No Email After X Time’ Team Pact

Choose a time (such as 6pm) where the team agrees to pause work messages and protect each other’s evenings.

Frame it as:

“We protect each other’s time so we can enjoy our evenings, families, and rest.”

This simple boundary helps reduce burnout, resentment, and after-hours pressure — three major drivers of holiday stress at work.

Final Thoughts: A More Connected, Less Overwhelming December

The holiday season will always be busy, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Small moments of connection, creativity, humour, and rest are what help people stay grounded and energized.

Workplaces that intentionally create these moments send a powerful message:

You don’t need to “push through.”You deserve to enjoy the season, too.

If your team tries one or more of these ideas, you may find that December becomes less about stress… and more about connection, creativity, and feeling supported.

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Hi, I'm Alison.

Workplace mental health and burnout prevention champion.  We deliver comprehensive consulting and training services including:

• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

• Mental health and psychological safety workplace audits

• Resilience training

• Burnout prevention training and

• Fractional Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) services 

Learn more about how we build healthier workplaces build healthier workplaces or connect with me on  LinkedIn.