Dear Friends,
As we have come to expect from each calendar year, we have reached the winter holiday season. As with all other aspects of 2020, the holiday season feels a bit different this year. For many of us, it may continue to be a time of joy, thankfulness, and togetherness with family. For many of us, however, it may also be a time of stress, loneliness, and anxiety. While these dual realities are not unique to 2020, the intensity around these feelings and experiences might be.
How do we acknowledge and hold space for both the challenging emotions and the joyful ones? How do we support one another through this? How do we show up to work and follow through with daily responsibilities amidst all of this?
In presenting these questions, we do not profess to have all of the answers. We do, however, appreciate the power of acknowledging the variety of experiences people are going through when planning workplace events or activities. In-person holiday parties might not be realistic this year, but we can support one another through other end-of-year efforts. With this in mind, Tanenbaum has compiled a list of some (virtual) possibilities to consider in celebration of community, end of year, and the holiday season.
- Virtual games, such as trivia or a scavenger hunt
- Invite an outside speaker to support your team
- Ugly holiday sweaters for a day or a meeting
- Send a gift box or recipes to colleagues
- Come together for a day of wellness
- Coordinate a secret snowflake
- Volunteer (remotely) together
- Host a virtual holiday party
- Hold a talent show
Keep in mind the Tanenbaum resources available to share with one another during this time of year. We have holiday fact sheets on our Workplace Resources page, including specific resources for Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.
While 2020 continues to provide ongoing challenges for many of us, the power of community and appreciation of the little things remains no less important. With the winter holiday season nearly here and 2021 around the corner, we wish you and yours peace and wellbeing throughout it all.
Be well,
Workplace Program Team