Shaking Off the Holiday Hangover
The holiday season is a wonderful time to spend with family and friends and to reflect on our gratitude for all the blessings we have. The joy and love we share during this magical season often graces us with memories we’ll cherish for years to come.
But once the holidays are over and Monday rolls around again, it’s time to get back to work. How do you come down from your emotional high and begin to refocus on your work responsibilities?
It’s all about dialing in.
Each of us has an internal switch that we must flip to help ensure we stick around to make more beautiful memories with our loved ones. When we actively, consciously shift our mindset from holiday mode to work mode, we adjust our focus. A significant portion of maintaining that focus involves asking ourselves questions that matter throughout every workday. For example, how engaged do I need to be during this tailboard? Can I get away with only wearing half of my PPE today? I’m just going to make this quick connection – is it OK if I work by myself?
To better understand what I mean, imagine a worker who doesn’t ask himself those questions. Or, imagine if he asked those questions but still felt it was OK not to engage in the tailboard, OK not to wear all his required PPE or OK to work by himself. If that worker were injured or killed because of any of those actions (or inactions), what would you say about him? Probably something along the lines of, “I can’t believe he did that – that’s crazy.”
Now, ask yourself how many times you have put yourself in those same or very similar scenarios. The only difference between you and that injured worker is one word: yet. None of those things has happened to you yet. Next, consider your family and friends for a moment. Think about all the holiday seasons – past and present – you’ve had together making beautiful memories. Then consider the people you work with every day. Picture their families and friends and all the good times they’ve celebrated. Don’t you want those good times to last for many years, for every single one of you?
Maybe you’ve cheated danger in the past. You didn’t fully engage in that tailboard. You chose not to wear all the required PPE for that job you performed. You decided to work alone even though you knew it was safest for two workers to perform that task.
This moment, however, is your opportunity to change your behavior. As the holiday season begins to wane and you’re beckoned back to work, take some time to reflect, refocus and shift back into game mode. Think about all the years of holiday seasons (and much more!) still to come. And then make a daily commitment to (1) asking yourself safety questions that matter and (2) reminding yourself that the decisions you make today will impact all of your days ahead – so be sure to choose wisely.
About the Author: Jennifer A. Martin works as a safety manager for Michigan-based D and T Power LLC (www.dandtpower.com).