Our Productivity Hacks to Help Keep You on Track Until Christmas

Feeling dread during the lead up to Christmas? Here are some hacks to help you stay on track.

December can be a very busy month. Managing hefty work deadlines, Christmas parties and social engagements while trying to prepare for your own celebrations can be pretty hectic. Although it can be tempting to give up altogether and lose yourself in the chaos that is December, your future self will thank you for staying organised and ahead of the game.

Although the month has already begun, it’s not too late to try and get organised and keep yourself on track until Christmas. So, whether you’re struggling to manage the demands of work or your personal life, here are our practical productivity hacks to help you stay focused during the lead up to Christmas.

Don’t Neglect To Do Lists

Sometimes you can’t beat a good, old fashioned, handwritten to do list. It can be tempting to rely on our phones for this, but often lists can get lost, or our attention is distracted by something else. Taking a little bit of time to sit down and write out what you need to do can help you feel on track and refreshed.

Rather than writing one long list, break it down into categories such as:

• Urgent
• Semi Urgent
• Non urgent

Just the physical act of writing things down can help your mind feel clearer and more at ease, and can stop it racing in those annoying hours when you’re trying to sleep at night. Why not make it festive by writing with green and red coloured pens or even making use of a memo pad or even the Silvine Luxpad Things To Do Desk Pad.

Organise End of Year Paperwork

Waiting until January is never a good idea. Don’t wait until the new year rocks around to get your paperwork in order, as you will be kicking your past self. Returning to work after the Christmas break is always hard, but make that a little bit easier by spending some time organising your paperwork before the year is out.

Make use of document wallets and lever arch files to sort everything out and file 2025 away. There’s nothing worse than returning to work after Christmas with papers everywhere and your desk looking like a mess. Take a few moments before you go away for Christmas to organise everything and make your return as seamless as possible.

Get the Hard Stuff Done Early

It can be tempting to leave the heavy tasks to the end of the month or even the new year, but you will be kicking yourself in January if you go down this route. Get the hefty meetings and tasks out of the way at the start of December, rather than playing the game of pushing back and pushing back. Nobody wants to start the new year off feeling overwhelmed and stressed.

Your energy will naturally drop the closer you get to Christmas, so be sure to do your high energy or time constraining tasks earlier on in December to give yourself the best start in 2026. Late December is best for low energy tasks like admin, cleanup and updates.

Implement Time Blocks

Nobody can work a solid ten hour day without breaks. It might be possible, but it is not effective or sustainable in the long term. Studies suggest that the maximum time someone can concentrate without a break is between 20 and 40 minutes. Although you might be racing to the finish line to get everything done, it’s important to take regular breaks.

Try taking a mini break every 30-45 minutes or so to make yourself a coffee, or grab a festive treat like a mince pie. You’ll find when you return back to working you’ll feel refreshed and re-vitalised.

With just over three weeks until Christmas, there’s still plenty of time to make the most of 2025 and set yourself up for a strong start to the new year. While it’s easy to get caught up in the festive cheer and push tasks aside until January, implementing a few simple organisation strategies can help you head into the holiday season feeling prepared.